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Recovery time after removal of syrinx? (no chiari)

Hi all,
I am new here and was diagnosed with syringomyelia (syrinx in my spinal cord) about two months ago. Thankfully I do not have chair but quite severe neck pain, headaches and other symptoms. I am 34 and otherwise in good health. I will have shunt surgery in less than two weeks and was wondering what to expect after? Recovery time? Will symptoms decrease significantly?

Thanks so much, Iris
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620923 tn?1452915648
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi and welcome to the Chiari forum.

I have to first say , your syrinx will not be removed....the shunt will help divert CSF fluid to prevent it from filling the now sac of fluid which is called a syrinx....and hopefully it will shrink....

Do you know what caused your syrinx to form?
And do you also have EDS?
Helpful - 0
4 Comments
Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I am aware that the  syrinx won't be removed. It is unclear what caused the syrinx in my case, I have had severe headaches for many years and severe neck pain since 2015. I was never involved in any traffic accidents (which was the first thing that my NS asked me). I do not have EDS..
Then it is possible you had it since birth.....and no EDS...wow....that should help with recovery time...the best way to know is to look at other surgery or recoveries you may have had...even childbirth....how you handled that can indicate how you handle this.

Since I have not had this particular surgery, I can not speak from experience, but I did have the decompression surgery for Chiari and it took a long time for me, as I do have EDS and that can slow the healing process......so I am typically a slow healer. And what I have learned it to listen to your body and do not rush recovery....allow your body all the time it needs...rushing can lead to set backs.
Thank you. I am trying to take it slow at the moment, as my pain is increasing every day..I have t admit I had to look up what EDS even stands for, haven't heard of it before
EDS or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is related to Chiari and some Drs feel it may cause Chiari.....so it is very important to know if you have it or not.
Glad you are taking it slow, just remember to do so post op too.
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