Anyone ever have a laminectomy?

[bleedingpurple]

Just had Carpal and cubital tunnel done and recovery had been great. They did MRI of neck because I do have numbness in arms and back at times plus it can have same symptoms as cubital and Carpal tunnel. Well
I have two pinched nerves in neck and they say I have severe narrowing in C5 and C6 and I need a laminectomy soon. They say it’s from an old spinal injury that I have no clue..

The thought of neck surgery scares the piss out of me. Just wondering if anyone has had it done. Neurologist told me that “they will take good care of me and everything will turn out fine I promise.”

 

[MadJack]

Just had Carpal and cubital tunnel done and recovery had been great. They did MRI of neck because I do have numbness in arms and back at times plus it can have same symptoms as cubital and Carpal tunnel. Well
I have two pinched nerves in neck and they say I have severe narrowing in C5 and C6 and I need a laminectomy soon. They say it’s from an old spinal injury that I have no clue..

The thought of neck surgery scares the piss out of me. Just wondering if anyone has had it done. Neurologist told me that “they will take good care of me and everything will turn out fine I promise.”

My wife has had two of those. C4, C5, and C6. They went through the front of her neck. She recovered in the hospital for 48 hours and was good to go. I think she had 2 or 3 follow ups. No problems with either surgery.

 

[MadJack]

It would scare me too but she had no problems and never even took the pain meds that she was prescribed.

 

[bleedingpurple]

that’s what care me is going through the front

 

[SixFive]

I have had a lumbar and cervical laminectomy. Cervical is an easier recovery. Going through the front though is a fusion and not just a laminectomy. Lots of times with the neck, they can go in posteriorly and just sort of clean up the disc and remove impingement. You don’t always need a fusion. IF you do need a fusion, going through the front is preferred (ACF=Anterior Cervical Fusion), and Jack’s experience is typical. Most patients are same day surgery now, and the only people I ever see have problems already are debilitated or have multiple medical problems.

I would also highly recommend seeking out other options before surgery such as physical therapy, decompression, chiropractic, and especially epidural steroid injections. Most people are familiar with epidural steroid injections in the lower back, which helps sometimes, but in my experience personally and with patients, epidural steroid injections to treat cervical problems are far more effective than the lumbar spine.