The recovery process following surgery for cervical disc herniation usually lasts between four to six weeks.
It usually takes two to three months to fully recover. You might also be recommended for physical therapy for rehabilitation. With this procedure, a damaged cervical disc will be removed and replaced with an artificial disc.
Usually, you will have to remain in the hospital for around two days following this surgery. Further recovery will happen over the next four to six weeks, after which you can return to light activities. Full recovery takes around two to three months.
After surgery, you can expect your neck to feel stiff and sore. This should improve in the weeks after surgery. You may have trouble sitting or standing in one position for very long. You may need to wear a neck brace for a while.
Typically, patients make a full recovery within two to six weeks. After you recover from anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery, you should be able to resume regular activity with your range of motion impacted minimally, if at all.
Outcome of surgical management for cervical disc herniation has shown a success rate of 66 to 98% [8].
Sleeping On Your Back
When it comes to sleep, the best way to reduce pain and your risk of developing a post-procedural complication is to sleep on your back with a pillow placed under your knees. This provides the cervical and thoracic spine with much-needed support, which may ease your post-surgery pain.
You'll likely be able to get up and move around within a few hours of your cervical disc surgery and then either go home from the hospital the same day or the following morning. You'll feel some pain in the area operated on, but it should ease over time.
The operation generally takes 1 to 3 hours. You will lie on your back on the operative table and be given anesthesia. Once asleep, your neck area is cleansed and prepped. If a fusion is planned and your own bone will be used, the hip area is also prepped to obtain a bone graft.
c5-c6 is one of the most common levels for a cervical disc herniation to occur. A c5-c6 herniated disc can affect the nerves that control the muscles in the arms, neck, shoulders, hands as well as the head, eyes, ears, or thyroid gland.
C5-C6 disc bulging can be a painful and debilitating condition affecting the quality of life. Traditional medical treatment may involve medication, physical therapy, and surgery.
The C5 C6 vertebrae are known as load-bearing vertebrae as they have to support the weight of the spine and head above. In addition, these vertebrae also play an important role in facilitating the neck's range of motion, such as turning the head side to side and looking up and down.
In cases where the neck pain and other symptoms do not improve with nonsurgical treatments, or if the health of a nerve root or the spinal cord worsens, surgery may be considered. Iyer S, Kim HJ. Cervical radiculopathy.
An injury to the spinal cord at the C5-C6 level may cause pain, weakness, or paralysis in the arms and/or legs. There may be loss of bowel and bladder control or breathing problems in some cases. Nonsurgical treatments are often tried first for pain that stems from C5-C6. In rare cases, surgery may be considered.
The best way to reduce your pain as well as your risk of developing a post-procedural complication is to sleep on your back with a pillow placed under your knees. This provides the cervical and thoracic spine with much-needed support, easing your pain. It's also important to keep your arms at your sides, if possible.
---Do NOT lift anything weighing greater than 5-10lbs. ---Try to avoid lifting or reaching above your head. ---During the healing process in the first few weeks after surgery, you will likely tire more easily and will need to rest between activities. It can take a few weeks for your energy level to return to normal.
Cervical disc replacement procedure
A 1- to 2-inch incision is made along the front of your neck. The thin platysma muscle, which is just beneath the skin, is cut and moved aside.
The average Cervical spine surgery cost in Hyderabad or Cost of cervical spine surgery in Hyderabad ranges from 2,85,000 rupees to ₹4,60,000.
3) About 3-4 days after surgery, you throat will become swollen. This usually lasts 1-2 days and you may want to sleep in a recliner for that time. It improves quickly but call the office if it persists.
In general, most people fully recover from neck surgery after six months, but some patients can take up to a year or more.
With general anesthesia, you're “asleep” during surgery. More accurately, you're unconscious: your brain won't respond to pain signals or reflexes, so you won't wake up during your procedure. For awake spine surgery, you get spinal anesthesia, a type of regional anesthesia.
You will need to follow the below precautions. Good body mechanics will be needed overall for the rest of your life. NO bending • NO pushing & pulling items • NO lifting 5-10 pounds • NO overhead lifting • NO twisting • NO bending neck down to look at a book/tablet/magazine etc.
Neck Brace
Multiple level cervical fusion patients need to wear a Miami-J collar for 4-6 weeks post-operatively; single level cervical fusion patients need to wear the Miami-J collar for 2 weeks. Driving is prohibited while wearing your neck brace.
You should start to remove the collar for increasing lengths of time following surgery and at approximately 6-8 weeks remove all together. It should also be removed in order for you to carry out your exercise program.