Neck Fusion: How bad will it be the second time?
Hello
We are not a fan of surgery for neck pain as it seems to do more harm than good. We used to talk with our professors in the university about how the biggest indicator that someone will need spinal surgery, is that they had one before.
This article sheds light on how the second surgery will be.
First, do you know how likely it is that you will need to have another neck fusion?
This study found that 20% of the 1124 people who had the surgery required another one. This 20% are the focus of the rest of the study.
They said, “The patients undergoing revision procedures were younger compared to the non-revision group.”
The revisions required fewer segments to be fused. An average of 3.6 segments (levels in the neck) needed to be fused in the revision.
With so few left unfused, it would make sense why there were less needed.
The scariest discovery for me was “The revision group had greater rates of required ICU stays and non-home discharges.”
You were more likely to end up in ICU and must be discharged to a place where people can care for you while you heal.
“The revision group did experience increased odds of a 30-day (after surgery) emergency department admission and higher direct hospitalization.”
Still, think Neck surgery is right for you?
OR do you want to try something else?
Jason
