I only had a part of C1 and C2 chipped away to make room for CSF to flow properly.
As for ur patch, did they rule out EDS first? As the type of patch can affect how u feel and heal post op if u have EDS....it is very important to look at B4 surgery.
Will he remove the entire vertabrae? Wow, that seems like alot. I (and I think alot of us) just had the C1 laminectomy where they remove part of the vertabrae. I also had the duraplasty, but mine is a synthetic patch (gore tex). Do you know if other types of patches are an option? I would research that more because I've read where some types of patches are easier for your body to accept, etc. It seems like there are new innovations with that and it is a very important decision.
has the removal effected you at all? and did the removal cause the healing to take longer?
I don't know if it is standard, but I also had mine removed also. I think it has something to do with the patch not rubbing on anything to cause leaks.