Pain is the most common symptom of radiculopathy and, in most cases, is the first symptom to improve; often immediately after the surgery. Pins and needles may take longer but tend to improve quickly. Numbness takes the longest period to recover, perhaps even over 12 months and some patients may not experience full recovery of numbness. Weakness has variable recovery depending on severity and duration before surgery. Some patients will experience recovery immediately while others may have persistent weakness despite the surgery. Normally, physiotherapy is required to treat weakness. Overall, about 90% of patients will experience significant improvement in pre-operative symptoms, while a further 10% will not improve as much as is hoped, and 1-2% percentage will be worse off in relation pain or some other problem. No guarantees can be given in relation to the surgery.
All surgery caries risk. There are risks common to all surgeries such as infection, bleeding, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism and those associated with a general anaesthetic.
Surgery around the spinal cord and nerve roots carries a small risk of neurological injury that may be temporary or permanent. This could range from at the worst, quadriplegia (inability to move the arms and legs), paraplegia, or weakness/ numbness involving part of an arm or leg. These risks are very rare.
A specific risk of a cervical laminectomy is however C5 radiculopathy. This is a well-recognised issue that may arise several days after surgery with pain and weakness involving the shoulder. It is thought to be due to a change in the position of the spinal cord following decompression which results in traction on the nerve root. It may occur even with what is a routine straight-forward procedure. It is most common temporary and resolves over weeks to months.
If a lateral mass fusion is performed, there is a risk of the bones not healing together as one, i.e., non-union / failure of fusion. This may result in neck pain and revision surgery. There is a risk of adjacent segment disease. As the spine is fused at the level(s) of the pathology, more stress is placed across the levels above and below the level of the fusion. This may accelerate changes at those levels and cause similar problems, sometimes requiring surgery.
This is not an exhaustive list of potential complications but this information provides an overview of the more common complications that patients may be exposed to.
The hospital stay is normally around 4 days in total but varies depending on the patient and their underlying condition. The day after the surgery the wound drain is removed and plain x-rays of the neck are obtained. During the hospital stay the patient receives daily physiotherapy. Patients will receive prophylactic subcutaneous heparin injections and are required to wear stockings to prevent DVTs.
After surgery, there is normally some discomfort and analgesia is provided. However, the amount of analgesia is required is usually small. Constipation is a common complaint after surgery and is usually due to analgesics. Patients should inform staff if this becomes an issue.
The wound is normally cleaned and the dressing changed each day. After discharge no dressing is required. You may shower and then pat the wound dry with a clean towel afterwards. While the wound may get wet, do not soak it in the bath or in a pool for at least 2 weeks after the surgery. Do not rub the wound. If there are any concerns such as excessive redness, pain or ooze then you should have your GP review the wound as the first step.
After discharge, it is advisable to rest for 2 weeks which should consist of normal daily activities. One should not sit in the one position for too long such as at a computer for more than 20 minutes at a time. Once you feel more confident then activities such as driving can resume. Normally one can drive after 2-4 weeks from the date of surgery. A return to work depends on the work environment. Those with sedentary jobs can usually begin to go back to work after 2 weeks. Those with more physical jobs should wait at least 6 weeks but it should be discussed with Prof Owler.
A post-operative appointment is normally arranged at 6 weeks post-surgery. The appointment is normally provided to the patient at the time of discharge from hospital. At that visit any concerns can be discussed and the wound will be checked.
There are few long-term restrictions after this surgery. Patients who undergo a cervical laminectomy are usually advised to avoid body contact sports such as rugby league and union as well as to avoid any activities where there may be undue strain on the neck.
For the first 2 weeks patients should not lift any significant weights. This can gradually be increased by 5 Kg every 2 weeks. By the post-operative visit at the 6 week point after surgery, patients should have been lifting < 10Kg. After this the limit, can be increased. There is a general lifting limit of 20Kg for most people but this may need to be varied depending on the patient’s occupation.
