Help!! C5 C6 Discectomy and Fusion Now Severe Pain!

 I went to the doctor today because I had a c5 c6 discetomy with a anterior fusion a year and a half ago. For the past  couple of months Ihave been experiencing severe headaches and pain. The did a regular xray and this is what the report says:

Normal alignment and stable hardware at the cervicle spine fusion site. However there is a thin lucency through the graft site, with sclerotic margins, concerning for incomplete fusion.

Anybody understand what this is saying?? The doc said he will call me when he gets these results, but I have heard nothing as of yet.  I am not on any pain meds and it feels like my head is too heavy for my neck to hold it up.

Daylont, welcome to the site and sorry you find the need to be here. Most of us came here because we needed somewhere to vent and find comfort and encouragement from caring people who are in a similar spot as you. We are not doctors and can't even begin to give you advice on what the report says. Depending on what the doctor sees, he might order an mri or other diagnostic tool. Now that it is Friday, you have no choice but to wait until Monday to try and contact him. I would suggest that if the pain gets too bad, the ER might be an option. They might be able to get you through until you can see your doctor the first of the week. The ER docs might even call your doctor to get information which could speed up the process of getting in to see him, although that is not a good reason by itself to go to the ER. What kind of doctor are you seeing now? Is it the surgeon who did the fusion or a PCP? Sorry I don't have any better words for you, keep us updated. Opps, I thought it was already Friday, I would definitely call the Dr. office first thing in the morning. I see while I was writing PAlady gave you some very good advise.  

Post Edited (fatherjohn) : 3/12/2009 10:49:30 PM (GMT-6)

I think your surgeon would want to know if you are having a emergency. Try to
contact him. I assume you haven't yet called. Try!

I don't understand why you weren't prescribed pain medication. Tsk tsk on your
doctor.

If you don't have any luck reaching the doctor,

I think it would be a very good idea to have someone drive you to ER. Take any
surgical papers that you might have. (You probably don't have any) Let them
decide what action to take.

As both CPers have mentioned, we're not doctors. All we can do or say is tell
you how we would personally handle the situation.

Take care.

Pamela

Daylont,
I wonder if your neck needs some support (like a brace) until you can get to see a neurosurgeon - or at least a specialist who can tell you about the fusion issue.

Just a thought. And it's late so my thoughts may not be very clear!

PaLady

D-
Is your pain in the same place as before the fusion or is it now in a different place?

I never hurt in my neck before, I had left arm pain. Felt like a migrane in my left arm all of the time. After surgery no more pain in my arm immediately. I was doing great!! NOW I hurt in my neck all the way down to about my shoulder blades. I am having excrutiating headaches. I cannot rest my head on my hands the pressure is just too much. My neck gets tired and feels as if my head is too heavy. I have had a few instances where I was laughing and leaned my head back and got an electrical shock that went down BOTH arms to my finger tips. It was intense enough tomake me sick to my stomach, I had to lay my head down on my computer desk and rest for about 5 minutes. Really weird feeling. I couldn't even hold the phone. This has happened a couple of times.

It's possible it's not even related to your previous surgery. I had surgery on C1 & later got pain at level C6/7. It turned out it was at least mostly unrelated (can't ever rule it out completely).
I think White Beard had a good suggestion about going down for sick call. See what needs to be done to get a surgical consult on your films. Perhaps they could even email the films or snail mail a DVD with your films & report on them to your previous NS (not sure what military rules are, but that's what I would recommend for civilian care so hopefully there is some way to make it happen for you).

Do take care of yourself. It does sound pretty miserable what you're going through. Possibly something with an entrapped nerve & pain meds really don't seem to do much for that anyways. Good luck with everything!

Wow White Beard, They put you through the ringer. I hurt in my left arm for about 5 years. I had shoulder injections, neck injections, chiropractor ,physical therapy,you name it I went through it. They treated me like I was crazy.  Finally did an MRI of the neck and saw the herniation in C5 /C6 and C7. He decided C7 was bad enough to do anything with but that C5 and C6 needed to be fixed and took me right into surgery. I wanted to kiss him when I woke up and that arm didn't throb. But now Iwant to KICK HIS BUTT!! I am dying right now.

Daylont,
I tend to agree with White Beard about something to help stabilize your neck with all the symptoms you're having. And definitley don't let a chiro. or anyone manipulate your neck. I've had cervical spine problems for over 20 years and manage them with lots of stretching, good ergonomics, a great cervical pillow for sleep (definitely need that or I'm a mess), heat, and occasionally a PT session or two. I do feel like the rest of my spine is slowly worsening since I had my lumbar fusion. This all gets kind of scary. But do be gentle with that neck and push the military system in whatever ways White Beard suggests to get the right help.

PaLady

Patti,

Thank- you for responding. You know the more I think about this the more I kinda get angry. My neurosurgeon onlyhad me come back once after surgery to follow up. No follow up xrays nothing. I am wondering if this is because of me being military and tricare not paying the full amount. I will be calling my neurosurgeon in South Carolina and my primary care doctor first thing this morning. I want to thank everyone for their care and concern and help. 

Daylont,

 

Hi and I too would like to welcome you to HW. I am a little late posting but just the same welcome aboard. I hate to see a new face be here, because no one should have to suffer, however you have landed at the right place. As you can see we are a great group of caring people on here. Not docs but just share our experiences.

 

I do hope by now you have had some luck in getting a dr to look at you. You sound like you are suffering needlessly. I know all too well how the military drs are. You should be given something for pain. It does sound like your fusion did not become solid and if that is the case that certainly explains your pain. Can you get a soft cervical collar at a drug store, they will at least stabilize your neck. One thing, please do not bend your head back anymore, not good, Try to keep your neck really as still as possible, thats why so many of us are asking about a collar. It would help in that area. Your neurosurgeon needs his butt kicked for not telling the military drs to x-ray your fusion every 6 weeks for awhile. They should have been monitoring the the bone graft to make sure it was becoming solid. Thats just reasonable care, what a cad. Patti is right for the neck to completely heal it takes one year.

 

Until you can get some medical help please be very careful with your neck. Stay out of a car as much as possible. Try to limit your driving to work and such. Don't need you to be getting in a wreck with your neck in the shape its in. I found moist heat helps more than dry heat. I take a hand towel and wet it and then wring it out. I nuke it a minute or so in the microwave, careful not to get it too hot and then make a roll with and put it around my neck. Feels wonderful, have cooked many meals nuking a hand towel,lol.

 

Please keep us posted on how thing come along for you. Susie

Thank-you Stray Dog and White Beard. I did call my neurosurgeon in South Carolina this morning, I read the nurse the results of the xray and she stated the same everyone is telling me. She also stated that because I am diabetic that may be why the fusion did not complete. It is called a failed ACDF. She asked me to get ahold of my doc and tell him to do new xrays one flexing and the other extending. SHe also stated I needed a MRI right away. I called my doc this morning and left a message and still her at 2:25 no word from him. She also told me more than likely I would need a new surgery cleaning out the old bone and putting a new graft in. The sooner the better. She did not have answers as to why Marzluff did not have xrays checking on this after surgery. She stated that he only saw me twice and that I had having surgery on my feet and so things were put on hold, which was correct info. I was unable to walk around for a bit due to foot surgery. So.. I am just waiting to hear from my doc. I appreciate all of the caring and support. Thank-you everyone.

idk about military, but typically follow-up visits are rolled into the price of the surgery. Usually insurance companies will not approve follow-up visits with a NS for a certain period post-op (typically either 6, 9 or 12 months depending on the plan). That's not to say you shouldn't get them, just that they've already been paid for. In any case, your NS has gotten a lot of money from you, so he really should be the one to follow up. Obviously, there could be costs associated with additional treatments or procedures (assuming it wasn't the result of sloppy work & it doesn't sound like it was), but a consult or office visit should not cost anything extra. Even years after my surgery, when I got into an auto accident, my NS looked at the films from the ER and gave me his opinion on them at no charge.

Let us know what you find out!