surgery scheduled c5/c6 prodisc-c

[keziah23]

I have surgery scheduled for November 18 for one level disc replacement with Prodisc-C at the frontenac spine care and surgery center in st. louis, missouri wth dr. david raskas. Pending approval from insurance (aetna).

I'd like some "what to expect and prepare for after surgery" advice from someone who has had this before.

some specific questions/concerns are:
1. pros and cons of surgery center vs. hospital
2. i've heard different things about riding in cars after surgery (until 2 week checkup)
3. how dependent am I going to be on someone and for how long after I come home?
4. am i going to need to sleep in a recliner?
5. am I going to be able to walk up and down stairs okay?
6. I'm really concerned about some of the airway damage I have read about.


a little about me
---

I'm a 33yo white female, moderately overweight
I live in a house in suburban st. louis with my boyfriend of 11 years, he's going to work from home for a few days after my surgery(planned 2-3 days)
we have no family close by, my mom will be calling often to check on me and i'll only be alone during the days.

I work at a university in the IT department, where I sit at a desk a lot, travel quite a bit and attend a lot of meetings Luckily taking time off work is not going to be an issue for me, I have a great boss and have a lot of time saved up (6 weeks or so sick time saved up).

I am tentatively planning on taking about 3 weeks off work.

My doctor and the nurse who is setting up my surgery told me different things, he said I'd be going home the same day of the surgery and be up and about and self sufficient, the nurse (who's had fusion twice) said no getting in a car for 2 weeks until I come for my recheck and have someone around for a few days to assist me. I know that doctors can be vague on after surgery care, I had wrist surgery in 2004 and was not at all prepared for the challenges I would have being home by myself with only one usable hand.

I have asthma and acid reflux and irritable bowel symdrom but no other major illnesses or issues, oh, and i have hyper-mobile joints.

i asked my doc if I'd be in a collar, he said "only if it makes you feel more comfortable"

----
Timeline:
1993 (age 18): car accident (side whiplash, concussion)
1995 (age 20): diagnosed with bulging disc in neck
2000 (age 25): disk herniated
2001 (age 26): bulging disc at c6/7
2000-2004: multiple treatments including nerve root block, trigger point injections, epidural steroid injections, physical therapy.
2005-2008: pain meds and muscle relaxers only
ProDisc-C replacement on c5/c6 schedule for 11/18/2008

[berry]

Hi Keziah

You'll be fine, I had two level cervial disc replacement in Feburary and had a remarkable recovery. My surgery was done in hospital and I had an overnight stay. Details of my story can be found in the link on the UK site below http://z6.invisionfree.com/adrsuppor...?showtopic=303 which you may find interesting.

Good luck and best wishes for a successful op and smooth recovery.

Kind Regards

Lynda

[sahuaro]

Hi Keziah:

First I want to wish you the best of luck and good success with your surgery.

I had a Prestige ST implanted at c5/6 in January and I too had a smooth recovery. My hospital stay was overnight and to get me out of bed and walking the day after surgery, my husband offered to take me shopping (we were in LA)--something I would have to be very sick to turn down! I will say that my energy level was very variable for the first month or so, but I returned to work after a month.

To answer your questions:
(1) I don't have any real sense of whether a hospital or surgery center is better: the important issue I would think is the availability of an on-call doctor should problems arise and the experience of your surgeon. Perhaps others here have some other opinions, though.
(2) you won't necessarily need to sleep in a recliner unless you find it more comfortable. I did have some trouble at first finding a comfortable position and tempurpedic cervical and side sleeper pillows did help.
(3) you really won't need a great deal of assistance post-surgery. I was able to take showers immediately by putting a Nexcare waterproof bandage over my incision--you can pick these up in the first-aid section of a drug store.
(4) I did not get any prohibition about being in a car immediately post-surgery. How else are you going to be able to leave the surgery center? I did wear a soft collar for two weeks, however. I was told that I could drive two weeks post-surgery: perhaps, this is what the nurse meant??? For my own sense of well-being (rather than a physical need), I wore the soft collar while driving for about a month.
(5) despite stocking up on soft foods, I did not experience any difficulty swallowing. My surgeon had predicted that this would be the case because of the level of the surgery. I did have a sore, swollen throat because of the intubation and throat sprays helped; this only lasted a couple of days.

One thing you need to be prepared for is left shoulder pain--this seems to be a common experience post cervical ADR and is probably related to positioning during surgery. The side sleeper pillow helped me as well as the good work of my physical therapist.

I hope this information helps. If you have further questions, feel free to PM me.

[Dave C]

Hi Keziah,

Let me start by saying WELCOME to this wonderful community. I Had a two-level Prodisc C surgery in June of 2008 and am so happy I did.

So, let's try to answer some of you questions/concerns.

1. I'm not sure what the differences might be, other than a hospital might be better equipped if something major went wrong. This is a major surgery, even if you get out the same day. Anytime you go under and are opened up, it is a Major ordeal.
2. Riding in cars? Well, to put it lightly, you won't want to. Each bump feels like a two-foot deep pot hole. I was advised not to ride in a vehicle for two weeks, except for the ride home of course. Reason being is that the disc's need to adhere to the bone, which can take a while. Not a good idea if you can avoid it.
3. You should be able to most things without assistance. My wife went back to work the day I got home. Just be sensible.
4. Where you sleep and relax is a personal choice. I preferred the recliner with a ton of pillows, but others like the bed. You will need to try different positions/items to see which is best for you. Just go slow when getting up.
5. Stairs are a piece of cake for cervies. Hold the hand rail and you are on your way. I own a Bi-level ranch and had no problems at all. I was up and down the the day I got home. Once again, just go slow.
6. Ahh, the throat issues. We all have some discomfort, but the differences seem to be vast. I consider myself lucky. I had a "lumpy" feeling for about a week, maybe two, but no major pain. Others talk of months of the "lump" along with voice issues. Remember, you will be intubated, as well as having everything moved over a little to gain access to the bad disc's. Do not let this scare you at all. Still better than what you deal with today.

I was in a hard collar for two weeks and because of the type of prosthesis that was used, Prodisc, it was not an option. I think you feel more "secure" if you use one.

I also returned to work after 3 weeks, but took it easy for a couple of months.


Good luck on your journey and feel free to ask ANY questions you might have. Chances are someone here has an answer, or at least advise.

Have a really great day,

[Terry]

Cervical disc replacements are not very difficult to heal from. There have been some issues on the forum here with a couple of people but, for the most part, the surgery is well tolerated and, recovery time is not that difficult.

I had 4 level ADR surgery with two cervical and two lumbar and the biggest challenge was from the lumbar area. I did have some issues with swallowing for about a week or two after the surgery. Cut your food in to little bites so you can swallow and everything should be fine. This was caused by swelling at the surgery site.

Welcome to the forum and, let us know if we can be of further assistance.

Terry Newton

[keziah23]

Thanks all, I really appreciate how much time everyone is putting into responding to my questions. I am one of those people who are comforted by knowledge.

I have a question for the women who have had neck surgery... will I be able to/should I wear a bra after my surgery? I ask because i'm rather endowed in that area so a bra is always a consideration.

Oh, I was also told that I didn't need pre-op bloodwork, thought that was weird.

[sahuaro]

Keziah:

Wearing a bra was not an issue.

Not having blood work is a bit troublesome in my opinion: my surgeon sent orders to my GP here for a complete physical including blood work and EKG.
And the surgeon took extension/flexion X-rays both the day before surgery and at the follow-up the next week.

[Jessica]

Hello Keziah,
I, too, am large chested. I bought a few "jogging" bras to wear while lying around, as I am uncomfortable without any support. They are hard to find, but it was worth the trouble to be more comfortable. Wearing my regular bra was no problem on my release from the hospital.

I was in Germany, they kept me in the hospital for 3 nights. I think part of that is because of not going "home" to recover. I have been told that hear in Santa Monica Spine Institute I am scheduled again to spend 3 nights for my second ADR surgery. I have read where some people go home the same day. I find that hard to imagine, but it seems several have done it without much issue.

The worst part of recovery for me was the trapezius strain. I did not have many issues with swallowing. I had an apple for breakfast the next morning and took a shower. Personal care was no problem. I would not have wanted to be doing much physical stuff for a few days. I hope I am that lucky again. I do plan to have two massages a week for 3 weeks before my next adr and focus on the traps and try to make sure everything is as loose as possible. The positioning for ADR causes this trap strain and you will find many here who talk about it lasting for months. I am not sure the massages will help but I thought it was worth a try.

I am happy to answer any questions. Best of luck with your surgery.

[keziah23]

Thanks everyone. I have scheduled a physical with my regular doctor for 10 days before my surgery is schedule (still haven't heard back from insurance), just to get checked out and make sure I'm healthy before going into the surgery.

Jessica: I have never had any luck find sports bras that fit, maybe I'll give it a go again.

The doc didn't necessarily say I'd be going home the same day, he said that if necessary I can stay overnight at the surgery center. Even if I do, I am less than 10 minutes from 5 major hospitals, so I feel pretty okay about that.

I had wrist surgery in 2004 and was not able to use my hand AT ALL for a week then barely for 2 more weeks after that, being home by myself after that was a chore, I think it prepared me for future incapacity pretty well.

On the mental side of things its been kind of weird. Just like when you schedule a haircut and then your hair immediately starts looking fabulous (ladies, you have all experienced this, right?) Well, my neck has hardly been bothering me at all, little tinglies, but almost no shoulder pain, no headaches, no burning trapezius. So over the weekend I got a burst of energy and started cleaning out my laundry room/junk room, with the ulterior motive of making my neck flare up. If its hurting and I'm dealing with my symptoms then I am going to be much less anxious about this process. I'm weird. I know.

[Jessica]

Been there - done that. I hate preparing for surgery and feeling fine!