post op pain after c6-7 discectomy with fusion

[2busy]

I had a c 6-7 discectomy and fusion 5 weeks ago.  Immediately after surgery I noticed that my arm pain was gone, but after a few day the pain seemed to come back.  My surgeon said that my surgery was difficult because my neck muscles were very tight and thick.  Also as a result of the surgery my right vocal cord has been paralyzed making swallowing and speaking quite difficult (consequently I am now under the care of an ENT MD and a speech therapist). Due to severe swelling I was on IV corticosteroids while in the hospital and then I was sent home with a prednisone pack.

My question is this:  given all the above noted complications, is it likely that it will take more time the pain to subside in my arm (which is the reason I had the surgery initially) ?




This discussion is related to Continued pain after anterior cervical fusion.

[mooseneck619]

What causes pain down the back of the arms, just from the armpit to the elbow? I have had cervical fusions since 1992, the last on Aug 11, 2008. Now I'm fused from c-3 to t-1. My pain was gone after surgery, but it is now back.

[PaulMD]

Hi there.

From the way your surgeon expressed his difficulty during the surgery, it is really possible that healing may really take some time.  The best option is to have a rehabilitation program together with the pain medications.  It is also important that you get tapered off from your steroid medications, since if given for a long period, can have more side effects including bone loss, water retention, and sometimes, cardiovascular complications.

Regards and God bless.