Anterior discectomy & fusion of cervical spine - opinions?

[bearchan]

Hello,

First and second opinions from orthopedic doctors agree that I should have this surgery done. They both stated that my MRI results are "impressive for someone my age." I'll be 33 years of age in October. I have a herniated disc that has calcified and is impinging on my spinal cord. My symptoms are frequent headaches, pain between shoulder blades of a level of 3 upon movement in certain positions, occasional left elbow pain which may or may not be related, and maybe 3 times a year injuring my cervical spine to the point where i have to lift my head up with my hands from a lying position because the pain in my neck/back is about an 8 of 10 and resolves in 3-4 days. Sneezing sometimes makes me feel like I could re-injure my neck at any time. I also have occasional numbness and tingling in lower legs and feet, but i think this may be unrelated the cervical spine injury, and more related to the herniated disc in my lumbar spine that I recently injured, but that the doctors said would heal on it's own over time.

Now to my question. I'm looking for opinions from someone who's had this surgery before, or from any doctors. Do you think I should get the surgery, or is it not worth the risk? I haven't been in any type of traumatic accident. This stems from an injury at the gym back in 2003. Symptoms have become a bit worse in the past year...in particular the headaches and pain between shoulder blades. My biggest fear is coming out of this worse than I would if I didn't do anything. Part of me feels like I could live with the headaches and mild back pain, but I'm definitely not comfortable by any means. Doctor's said symptoms may only worsen over time. Back surgery scares me, especially with people poking around my spinal cord with sharp instruments. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks in advance.

[said99]

correct the root cause at c1. see an hio method chiropractor.

[teithi71]

Stephanie, I've never had this surgery and am not a doctor (there may be a few who hang out here, and there are some who pretend to be but are not, but it's a longshot to get a bona fide MD particularly in cervical spinal surgery who will answer). I do have some training and knowledge in this area, certainly not enough to be in an OR, but enough to offer the following suggestions.

You need a spine surgeon (not an orthopedist, most likely) who will do cervical spinal surgery. Get a referral for the best you can find. You will probably benefit from traveling to a big city hospital or a large university teaching hospital, as these doctors are relatively unusual. The conversation you need to have, particularly since you are concerned about what can go wrong in the surgery and what the outcome will be, is regarding those two very topics.

There's never a guarantee. Cervical surgery is riskier than most, but the risk is manageable. Cervical discectomy is relatively straightforward. Cervical fusion is a little chancier. Ask your potential surgeon to be specific about numbers based on your MRI and his or her experience with similar cases.

Here's my suggestion. If you have that conversation, and the surgeon comes back and your impression is that there's a 60% chance of a much better outcome, and a 5-10% chance of a worse outcome, if I'm in your position, I'm going to roll the dice. Because what they have told you in recommending surgery and what the outlook is without surgery is true based on your report of your MRI findings. Your quality of life is not too good right now to say the least, and the long-term outlook is worse. So if you can find the courage to take the chance towards a better life, and to take the pain and long painful road back that may also be needed after surgery, it's a chance worth taking. But that's me. Only you can make the best decision for you.

I wish you all the best. You're in my prayers.