Post ACDF - another surgery

Well, It's been nearly six months since 3 level ACDF surgery. PT the past six weeks has been extremely helpful. Shoulders and neck are feeling much better. The exercises are difficult and painful at times, but the end results are worth the effort.

Unfortunately for me, swallowing continues to be a problem and my arms and hands are still numb and extremely painful. After an ENT visit and swallow test, I was told there was nothing they can do. Since the throat muscles appear to be weakened, it was suggested to continue to thoroughly chew and take small bites with lots of liquid. Hopefully strength will come back to help food go down.

A nerve test indicted the ACDF surgery was successful, but the ulna nerves are compressed and not moving freely. I am scheduled for ulna nerve transposition in my left arm next week, and will have the right arm done 4 weeks afterwards.

I was not expecting additional surgeries, but I am told there is a light at the end of the tunnel. As I am sure many of you know, it is a bad feeling when your motor skills are hampered by various nerve issues. I am hoping and praying relief is knocking at my door.

It continues to be helpful that others are sharing their ACDF post-op experiences.

Texas122

Hi Texas122 thanks for the up-date, sorry about you having to have more surgery but hopefully it will help and get you back on track! As for the swallowing problem I can definitely empathize with you, I have had continuing problems with that every since my first ACDF at C6/7 in 1985!  They have told me that my vocal cords on my right side are partialy paralyzed and with my last EGD  a few months ago, they mentioned that I still have abnormal swallowing difficulties. I am not sure if it was caused by the damage of the bad disc at C6/7 or the surgery to fix it. Not that it matters.....it is just something that I have had to learn to live with over the years! I think the worse thing for me about it,  is the abnormal gag reflex, certain movements will set off spasms and retching episodes, that will cause electric shocks and needle sticks from shoulder to shoulder front and back! Over the years they have gotten less and less, but if I do anything to strain my neck really bad then they will always come back to haunt me!

Surgery like this can and sometimes does change ones life a bit!

White Beard

Hello Texas122, wow so sorry to read more surgery for you. It sounds like the cervical area is healing really well. I sure hope the swallowing issue resolves soon.

I know no one wants surgery of any kind. If this were me, I would get second opinion on the ulnar nerve surgery. It never hurts to get another opinion & I would make sure it is with a dr that has no connection to the dr that is recommending this surgery either.

Take care.

Many years ago I fell off of our motorcycle & landed on both elbows. I ended up with nerve entrapment on both arms & had the same surgery recommended. I declined the surgery for many reasons. I learned how to live with the pain & problems & it was not easy.

Hello JoeR & welcome to the forum. Joe, we ask all new members to make a separate intro post so that all members will see it & be able to give you a proper hello & welcome aboard. By posting on Texas122's thread not many people will see it & we also don't want to hijack her thread so to speak.

To make a separate post look to the left & click Post New Topic, fill in a heading & if you can copy & paste what you have written above it would make a perfect intro post.

I am not WhiteBeard, but I will tell you this, no way should you return to work in 2 weeks after such a surgery. Even more so considering the type of work you do. That would be a big surgery with so many levels involved. It is just not reasonable to entertain the thought of returning to work so quickly. What a person does post-op makes a huge impact on the surgery being a success. I am afraid returning to work that soon would really mess up this surgery in many ways. I have seen an enormous amount of these surgeries & have never seen anyone return to work that soon. I don't know of anyone even going back to work part time at the 6 week mark, which is what a lot of drs will tell a patient. That is nothing but text book talk only. Every person heals differently, no two heal the same way. But, at 2 weeks you have not even began to heal on the inside & not very much on the outside.

In the past 3 months or so we have had a lot of new folks join that have had cervical fusions, I suggest that you look through the first 3 pages here at the forum & read their stories. We look forward to getting to know you & will watch for your intro post.

Take care.

You are fine Joe, no need to delete the above post. We just wanted you to make an intro post which you have done.

We'll I had the ulna nerve transposition and release on the left elbow and wrist last Thursday. Still in a fair amount of pain, but pain meds are helping. I should have known when the surgeon prescribed 40 hydrocodone.

As far as I can tell, the tingling and numbness are gone. Surgeon indicated the ulna nerve was badly decompressed. Arm and wrist are well wrapped and i need to keep elevated until I see him on Wednesday. I plan to have the same on my right arm in 4 weeks.

I had all the symptoms prior to ACDF surgery, but all were hoping I would get relief. Apparently I have what they call a " double crush" where I was blocked in the neck and limbs. Wasn't I lucky.

I wish I had the arm and wrist surgeries prior to ACDF. I was beginning to feel better, but feel I have taken a step back. PT was difficult in that I had no strength in my arms to properly do all the needed exercises. Building the neck and shoulder muscles was a challenge. The band stretching exercises and light weights made me feel really old. There were times where the arms felt absolutely dead.

I am now an one-armed bandit. Doing anything is a challenge, just like after ACDF. However this is progress and looking forward to a return to normalcy, or something close to it.

Hope all are having a better Monday.

Texas122