Fiance is needing neck/back surgery

Hello!

My fiance is looking at a neck surgery (if the next round of shots are unsuccessful at helping his symptoms) where the surgeon would go in and replace his bulging discs with fake ones. All I have seen on here so far are fusions and I am wondering about the recovery time on such a surgery.

He also has 3 herniated discs in his back that the surgeon wants a new MRI on as well to see if doing both his neck and his lower back one after the other would be a possible route. They would also replace his discs instead of a fusion.

The surgeon is saying it is a fairly quick recovery (back at work in 1-2 weeks) but I am not sure how truthful he is being about that. Both surgeries would be done through posterior.

Just a quick background: He broke his back at 14 on a dirt bike. Crashed on a sports bike at 18 that had him in a coma for a couple months. Works in the automotive industry and still rides dirt bikes when he is able to. Right now he is 26 and I am a little scared on how this would impact the rest of our lives together and any future issues this may create.

Any advice is appreciated!

Motox, I do hope that your fiance intends on getting second opinions before considering going the surgery route. No one should ever consider having spine surgery of any kind without 2nd & even 3 rd opinions. These opinions should be with independent surgeons not affiliated in any way with his current surgeon. And I do hope that he is seeing either a neurosurgeon or a surgeon that specializes in spine surgery only. Most here prefer neurosurgeons.

Yes, we have had some members that had artificial disc replacement surgery that did well. However, they were not back to work in 2 weeks, that's insane. It takes up to 12 months to completely heal from neck surgery, provided there are no issues. Yes, at some point in that 12 months he could return to work, but heavy work such as a mechanic will be very difficult.

Spine surgery of any kind should not be taken lightly. Having reasonable expectations for recovery from surgery, having the best surgeon do the surgeon & above all getting 2nd & 3rd opinions. Spine surgery is no walk in the park. I am not telling you any of this to scare you, a person needs to be prepared.

You can check out CP101 at the top & scroll down towards the end of the post. There is a section of tips & ideas from members that have had both neck & back surgery. There is a lot of useful information there with ideas on how to prepare before & after surgery.

Take care.

Hi motox and Welcome to the forum!! I know all to well what your fiance is experiencing!! I was 34 at the time I got a massive herniated disc at C6/7, felt like you severely hit your ""crazy bone"" actually your elbow, and send burning pain from your elbow down your forearm into your in hand and fingers, and there is nothing you can do to get the pain to stop!!! I had it in both arms. Anyway I was in the military (US. Air Force) stationed in Alaska. When they finally diagnosed my problem a civilian neurosurgeon in Anchorage. Alaska gave me a ACDF Anterior Cervical Disc Fusion, removing the disc and taking the bone graft from my pelvice and fuse the vertebra together. This was done in March 1985, and at that time the ACDF was a relatively new surgical approach for this type of condition. My surgery at that time was considered an emergency as the disc was severely pressing into my spinal cord and had fractured into fragments floating in my spinal canal. The neurosurgeon told me he I had a guardian angel watch over me, because of the damage, there was no logical explanation as to why I wasn't a quadrieplegic! Anyway since that time I've had 2 other fusions in my neck ACDF at C5/6 in September 2009 and Posterior fusion of articular joints at C3/4 with rods and pins November 2010. So I can definitely empathize with what your fiance is going through!

I'm sorry that I can't be of much help about his up coming surgery as I'm really not familiar with the artificial disc replacement procedure. I will say I would be more than a bit skeptical about the recovery time and the what he is being told about his capabilities will be after his surgery. At least in the short term Anyway! Right after my Surgery in 1985, I completely lost my voice for well over 3 months and had swallowing difficulties for a very long time after that! All a result of the surgeries anterior approach, as in doing the surgery they stretched and damaged the nerve going to my larynx and throat! It's not a common occurance but it's not unheard of either. And according to one ENT doctor I had seen , he said he is surprised it doesn't happen more often in this type of surgery! But the good new is and was, that terrible unrelenting arm pain was completely gone as soon as I had the surgery!!! Instant RELIEF!!!

Anyway I do wish you both all the best! And Good Luck to him and also you!!

White Beard

Everyone in my family and his doesn't agree with his extreme sports that he loves to take part in. I am stuck in a hard spot because I know how much he loves to ride his dirt bike. It is also his stress reliever and a way for him to get out of the house. I have talked with him about it and how he needs to take care of his body if he wants us to be able to go on vacations together and have as normal life as possible.

The medical bills he is starting to receive are already starting to become a reality check. His surgeon has also told him he cannot be riding until he is cleared after the fact. Luckily, he also really enjoys fixing and working on dirt bikes/motorcycles, so he is doing that right now and getting some extra money.

It is going to be a long road for him and he needs to take care of himself some more.

It was when it happened. He didnt get on his bike for a couple years after that. Then his dad forced him to ride again to "get over his fear." You can just about imagine how happy I am with his dad. His dad is also the one who pushed him out of him comfort zone in terms of dirt biking and sports bikes. He is just now realizing how serious his medical issues are and how he needs to take care of himself.

Frustrated doesnt even begin to cover how I feel about this whole situation.

Guys aren't mariage material until age 30. They just aren't mature. I have a husband and 4 sons, all over that age.

There's no way one recovers from spine surgery in a couple of weeks. I've had cervical spinal surgery and my hubby, a doctor, has had a couple of lumbar vertibrae repaired. Think months to a year! If some surgeon promises a couple of weeks run! Read the posts in the archives - the Google search box at the top right of the page. Just put in some keywords to get started.

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