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What Are The Risks Associated With Cervical Laminectomy With Fusion?
Question: I am scheduled for a cervical laminectomy with fusion. How often percentage wise do really bad complications like stroke, or death happen?
Brief Answer:
The risk is very low
Detailed Answer:
Hello. I have been through your question and understand your concern.
Everyone is worried and scared before a surgery. But the complication in these types of procedures is really low, like less than 1%. This includes not only the surgery itself, but also anesthesia and post post operative course. The surgery itself does not interferes with the nervous structures, but only with the vertebras. Any neurosurgeon or spine surgeon spends like many many years to avoid any possible complication, but it is imprudent for anyone to say 100% for any procedure.
Hope this helps. Wish you the best health
The risk is very low
Detailed Answer:
Hello. I have been through your question and understand your concern.
Everyone is worried and scared before a surgery. But the complication in these types of procedures is really low, like less than 1%. This includes not only the surgery itself, but also anesthesia and post post operative course. The surgery itself does not interferes with the nervous structures, but only with the vertebras. Any neurosurgeon or spine surgeon spends like many many years to avoid any possible complication, but it is imprudent for anyone to say 100% for any procedure.
Hope this helps. Wish you the best health
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
My situation is early myelopathy with symptoms which at this point come and go. Symptoms when there are arm pain (mild), tingling in hands, weakness in hands, tingling in legs and feet and pain in my feet. The doctor wants to stop the progression of spinal cord compression with lamenectomy with fusion. I have spinal cord compression at 3 levels and nerve root compression at 4 levels, sometimes high-grade.
Brief Answer:
myelopathy needs decompressive laminectomy
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
If there is myelopathy then you should have prompt decompression surgery. Myelopathy can progress with potential irreversible effects. Your symptoms in the legs are caused by myelopathy while those in the arms are caused by root compression. Laminectomy is the treatment of choice. Since there are more than one level involved then it needs stabilisation with posterior fixation. Most of the patients with your complaints improve after surgery In a few weeks time
Hope this helps. Wish you the best health
myelopathy needs decompressive laminectomy
Detailed Answer:
Hello.
If there is myelopathy then you should have prompt decompression surgery. Myelopathy can progress with potential irreversible effects. Your symptoms in the legs are caused by myelopathy while those in the arms are caused by root compression. Laminectomy is the treatment of choice. Since there are more than one level involved then it needs stabilisation with posterior fixation. Most of the patients with your complaints improve after surgery In a few weeks time
Hope this helps. Wish you the best health
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
This has bothered me a lot. I wonder if it's related to my neck - a lack of urinary urgency and retention and pelvic floor dysfunction where it's often necessary to take meds to have a bm. I don't know if these things will ever straighten out
Brief Answer:
Urinary retention have a good chance to improve after surgery
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Generally speaking myelopathy causes sphincter dysfunction including urinary emergency or retention. So if the myelopathy recovers, the sphincters should recover too, included some of the bowel movement, even though the intestines has thier own nervous system. The timing is discussable, but it should improve in a few weeks time.
The pelvic floor dysfunction is not related to the myelopathy.
Hope this helps. Best regards
Urinary retention have a good chance to improve after surgery
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Generally speaking myelopathy causes sphincter dysfunction including urinary emergency or retention. So if the myelopathy recovers, the sphincters should recover too, included some of the bowel movement, even though the intestines has thier own nervous system. The timing is discussable, but it should improve in a few weeks time.
The pelvic floor dysfunction is not related to the myelopathy.
Hope this helps. Best regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Is catching cervical myelopathy early when the symptoms are relatively mild an indication that decompression with a top surgeon will relieve most of the symptoms? It's been 2 - 3 months since I was first diagnosed and had to wait for insurance approval and a 3 week postponement due to illness
Brief Answer:
timing is important
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Timing of decompression is important but it can not predict the outcome of the surgery, especially the long term effects. Basically, in myelopathy the nerves can be suffering, be injured or dead which are three steps of the same process. Myelopathy can not differentiate at what stage of damage is the nerve. In this case clinics (symptoms) may help, and with time symptoms can aggravate which is an indirect sign of progression of nerve damage. That is why it is recommended an early surgery, but not an emergency surgery.
Myelopathy usually recovers In a few weeks time after decompression.
wish you the best health
timing is important
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Timing of decompression is important but it can not predict the outcome of the surgery, especially the long term effects. Basically, in myelopathy the nerves can be suffering, be injured or dead which are three steps of the same process. Myelopathy can not differentiate at what stage of damage is the nerve. In this case clinics (symptoms) may help, and with time symptoms can aggravate which is an indirect sign of progression of nerve damage. That is why it is recommended an early surgery, but not an emergency surgery.
Myelopathy usually recovers In a few weeks time after decompression.
wish you the best health
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Of symptoms come and go and are mild is this an indication the nerves are suffering or are injured?
Brief Answer:
probably suffering
Detailed Answer:
Hello. If they come and go, then probably the are suffering or mildly damaged, otherwise the symptoms would not go. It is a good sign. You will have very good chances of good recovery
Best regards
probably suffering
Detailed Answer:
Hello. If they come and go, then probably the are suffering or mildly damaged, otherwise the symptoms would not go. It is a good sign. You will have very good chances of good recovery
Best regards
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
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