Should I have the cervical fusion surgery?

I am a 30 year old male who's profession is playing music. My neck was injuredin a car accident. After three opinions, 1 from my neurologist and 2 neurosurgeons, all three agreed on the (Anterior Cervical Fusion) operation. The extent of my severity was rated a 9 out of 10 by all three. My complications and pain are very minimal at the moment (pre) the operation, which is scheduled to be in a week. My concern is how quick should i be to have surgery if there is minimal to no pain currently? And by me being a Drummer/bassist, what will be my short term and long term limitations and restrictions?….I dont want to make a tolerable situation worse. On the other hand, i dont want to face greater complications years down the road from not having it. Can someone please help with more knowledge on this matter.

[Christopher R Newey, DO]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with a doctor.

Without the ability to examine and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of the symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

I cannot say whether you should or should not have surgery. This answer requires knowledge of your examination, history, imaging results, etc. I can mention a few things about herniated discs.

Typically, a herniated disc will result in a specific dermatomal pattern of pain and/or motor findings. A dermatome is an area supplied by a nerve root. With time, the amount of disk that has herniated (i.e., the posterolateral disc protrusion) shrinks and may resolve completely. Therefore, for the majority of people, non-surgical treatment is the first option. This treatment may include medications (non-steroidals such as advil), sometimes steroids if there is swelling (edema), temperature therapy (hot or cold packs), stretching and controlled physical therapy, muscle relaxants, and so on; these are best prescribed by an experienced physician, each has its own indications. Other options for the neuropathic pain include neurontin and lyrica, and medications such as elavil but a careful cardiac workup needs to be performed prior to starting this medication. Other options include physical therapy.

Some people will require surgery for these posterolateral protrusions. Symptoms (in general) suggesting the need for urgent surgery include muscle weakness, loss of bowel or bladder control, loss of sensation, particularly in the pelvis and severe and progressive pain. This will need to be decided upon by your PCP and/or neurologist.

It appears that you have minimal symptoms, but there must be something that has alarmed the physicians to refer you to surgery. I would ask them specifically what their reasoning is.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.