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  • neck issues

    I'm fused T2 - S1 and have developed neck problems - i.e. degenerative discs and bone spurs at C5, C6, and C7. I had bone spurs removed at C6 and C7 almost a year ago which helped, but I still have significant intermittant pain in my upper back, shoulders, and radiating down my right arm. As an added bonus, this affects my dexterity. I'm contemplating fusing C6 and C7 and possibly C5 and would love to hear from anyone who has been down a similar road. I am hesitant to fuse anymore as I feel a bit like a bobble head doll as is and have had 5 back surgeries the first 3 of which were varying degrees of failure. But at times when I'm miserable I'm ready to press on with the fusion. Thanks. Alyssa

  • #2
    Birdpainter,

    I have had my neck fused with plates at C5/6/7 after having A/P from T4-S1. I have a fabulous neuro that did the surgery and best of all, unlike the back surgery, I was in the hospital just overnight. . I had to wear a removable neck brace and couldn't drive for a couple of weeks. I could take off the brace just long enough to shower. I had very strick instructions not to bend my head down in the shower when the brace was off.

    The only restriction or problem I have is when I have to back out the car from a parking spot. It is hard to get the head to turn enough to see behind me. The mirrors on either side of the car are great help and being very slow and careful when backing out.

    The problem with my arm and the shoulder pain/numbness in my hand is gone. I would diffenantly get it done again.

    Sandy
    SandyC

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    • #3
      Alyssia and Sandy,

      Did your neck problems surface after your fusion or were you having problems prior to surgery? I'm just wondering if this can be one of those unfortunate consequences from a fusion that extends high in the thoracic spine or if it's just another part of the degenerative changes are bum scoliotic spines will eventually experience.

      Comment


      • #4
        Chris,
        Unfortunatly, in my case it was a bit of both. Before I had my A/P Dr.'s Bradford and Deverian almost didn't do my surgery because of my neck. I had alot of degenertive changes due to arthritis and a couple of disks that were close to herination.

        After the back was done, my neck seemed to be better for a good year to year and half. I then started having pain in my neck/shoulders/numbness in my arms and hands.
        SandyC

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        • #5
          With neck issues, which specialist is better--a neurosurgeon or orthopedic surgeon, or does it just depend on the doctor himself? I too have neck issues which have been present both before and after scoliosis surgery, plus fibromyalgia, so I am torn as to what to do.

          Comment


          • #6
            Judy,

            I think it is a combination of personal preferance and which doc you feel is the most qualified. In my case I use a neuro.

            Why do you think the fibro should be a question?

            I also have fibro/arthritis/Hepititis C (from transfusion)/ulcers/heart attack/sjogren's syndrome, none of which have a thing to do with my scoli. The Hep C is connected to the scoli, but only because in 1982 I recieved 9 units of blood after my harrington rods.
            SandyC

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            • #7
              neck problems/driving

              Not sure neck problems are a given after scoliosis surgery.

              I am 5 years post revision T-4 to sacrum and have had no neck issues. Maybe because I do Pilates and lift my head for some exercises strengthening my neck. I had triple curves one of which was cervical-now almost nothing.

              For driving, shortly after my revision, I got a wide clip-on rearview mirror and can just about see everything without twisting. I have to rotate myself at certain extremely placed yield/stop signs but I do OK. Another helpful device is the little magnifying mirrors attached to the side views. This just about eliminated any blind spots.
              Original scoliosis surgery 1956 T-4 to L-2 ~100 degree thoracic (triple)curves at age 14. NO hardware-lost correction.
              Anterior/posterior revision T-4 to Sacrum in 2002, age 60, by Dr. Boachie-Adjei @Hospital for Special Surgery, NY = 50% correction

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              • #8
                Sandy C - I just sent you a PM
                As of 12/25/07, age 62, 100* thoracic kyphosis, 73* L1-S1 lordosis, 37*/25* compensatory S-curve scoliosis. On 12/26/07, Dr. Boachie @ HSS NYC did 11 hours ant. & post. procedures, fused T2-L2, kyphosis now 57*, scoli 10*. Regained 2 1/4 inches in height!! Improving every day.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Hmmm ... yet another thread I'll follow with interest. I have a compensatory C curve (and periodic bulging - now constant pain - since a whiplash injury in 1996).

                  And IT now hurts worse than the pain in the structural area (T5-L1).

                  Hanson thinks my compensatories can be reduced to non-existent after the structural correction. I'm curious to see whether this helps my neck pain!

                  Regards,
                  Pam
                  Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
                  AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


                  41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
                  Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
                  Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


                  VIEW MY X-RAYS
                  EMAIL ME

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                  • #10
                    Bryan disc

                    i had surgery for my Scoliosis back in 1976.I have had neck pain since about 1990 ,then 2 car crashes made the pain a lot worse and i ended up having a Bryant disc replacement in C5 .I asked the surgeon at the time would my Scoliosis be a problem with it as i had read an article on the proceedure that said it would .I also told him i had arthritis in my neck and i had read that would be a problem too .He said both wouldnt be a problem .Two years after C6 and C7 are now both pertruding and the arthritis has spread .The surgeon has said theres nothing more he can do and he's taking me off his books.I feel like I was a Guinea pig for this operation and now left with no options.

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                    • #11
                      Pikey, don't give up. I would see another surgeon if I were you. In fact, I saw about 10 surgeons before I had my scoli surgery. Just keep fighting. You have a right to not be in pain. Good Luck!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Neck Issues

                        Hi! I am new so trying to learn as much asI can so Ican make the right choicies. I have been told I have degeneration of cervical spine +lumbar degeneration. I had Harrinton rods put in 1965. Now I am in so much PAIN I can hardly stand it. I have Medicare + Medicaid and live in Alaska so I do not have any choicies up here. Does anyone know any specialists in the Seattle,Wa. area.I have an appointment on Jan.9,08 to see a bone and joint specialists who will work with a neurologist who I have allready met. They both work in a med-group which has a doctor who specializes in adult scoliosis so I thought they may talk together on what needs to be done. All of my disks are gone except where the Harrington rods are plus I have stanosis. So far they have told me they will do some decompresstion and than fuse my neck from C3-C7. Just below that is where the rods start and just below the top of the rods is a bad curve to the left and forward(do not know the right terms)and than where the rods are I have a 40*curve(pre-op43*).the lumbar is degenerated and L3-4+L4-5 and the next vertebra are stagered on top of each other,the rest is degenerated also. I don't know if they go in and fix it all at once or by parts. if they should do it all at once I want to know so I can push for it. If any of yall know about this please let me know . Thanks For Everything.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          I found out from my MRI's early this month I have "3mm protrusions a C5/C6 and C6/C7 - degenerative disc disease" ... *still* the same results as my MRI in '97.

                          Is it REALLY DDD when it hasn't changed in 10 years?

                          No stenosis ... no nerve root impingement (so why do the last few fingers on both hands go numb every day? Hmmm.)

                          Hanson thinks ~maybe~ the scoli surgery will help the neck pain. After a 14" posterior F&I (T5-L1), I'll not hesitate to try cervical plating if (after a reasonable time) the neck doesn't improve.

                          I'd be very interested to hear from anyone who's has scoli surgery - and had whiplash issues that remained - and were repaired afterwards.

                          Regards,
                          Pam
                          Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
                          AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


                          41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
                          Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
                          Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


                          VIEW MY X-RAYS
                          EMAIL ME

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I had C4 - C6 fused 1 year prior to my scoli surgery, C4-C5 a bulging disk and C5-C6 I can't remember what they called it, but I was told he had never seen it on a person as young as me unless it was from a football injury. (I never played football) I had pain and tingling down my left arm for months. I have no idea what happened, i just woke up one morning in massive pain. It was the Wed. before Thanksgiving and I thought I would give it a week to see if it went away but by Friday I couldn't take it any more. I went thru 5 months of PT, pain management ect... but nothing helped.

                            I often wonder if the Scoliosis surgery was done first would that of releived the pain from the neck and could I have avoided that surgery? I guess i'll never know.
                            Patty 51 years old
                            Surgery May 23, 2007(43 Birthday)
                            Posterior T3- L4
                            Pre surgery curves
                            T-53degrees
                            L-38degrees
                            and a severe side shift to the right.
                            Post surgery curves
                            Less than 10 degrees
                            Surgery April, 2006
                            C4 - C6

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              artificial cervical disc replacement?

                              Have you considered cervical artificial disc replacment surgery instead of the traditional fusion technique? The main advantage of the ADR surgery is not losing anymore range of motion. The artificial discs move just like normal healthy discs are supposed to. Sounds like our backs have similiar problems. I am also fused from T2 to S1 and have suffered from neck problems, including shoulder and radiating arm pain for some time. MRI's show bulging discs and bone spurs...which my doctor refers to as degenerative disc disease. I need to have surgery in the C5-7 area to fix the problem. However....with the vast majority of my back already fused, I want to hold out for artificial cervical disc replacement surgery instead of more fusion. Prior to my recent revision surgery (Dec. 21, 2007) I was planning on going to Germany to have the cervical ADR surgery done by Dr. Bertagnoli. My Seattle area orthopedic surgeon is requesting a compassionate use waiver from the FDA to allow me to have a 2 level ADR surgery here in the States. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that not only will the FDA grant the waiver, but that my medical insurance company will be willing to pay for it.

                              Melody
                              Melody
                              1974 Harrington Rods and fusion L2-T4 age 13

                              1975 to 2000 very few problems or pain

                              2000-2007, increasing pain above and below fusion, chiropractic care, massage, acupuncture

                              Dec. 21, 2007 revision surgery: partial removal of rods, , laminectomy and decompression L4-S1 to correct stenosis , posterior osteotomy L4-5 to correct flatback, posterior instrumentation L-3 through ilium. Posterior fusion L4 - S1.

                              Comment

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