Cervical spine surgeries
Used to treat the symptoms of spinal canal stenosis in the cervical spine that causes pressure on the spinal cord (circumcision and weakness in the arms and legs), and sometimes also nerve pain in the arm.
The surgical incision is in the back of the neck and the hospitalization time is several days.
In the operating room, the position of the head and neck is carefully handled. The bones in the back of the neck are called the lamina (back arch of the vertebra) and are revealed by separating the muscles.
A special cutting drill is used to remove the lamina bones and relieve pressure on the spinal cord.
Sometimes it is also necessary to add stabilization with screws and rods and the decision on this is made before the operation and in discussion with the patient.
A collar is usually not needed and mobility begins the day after surgery.
After the operation, pain may appear in the shoulder area, which is treated with painkillers.
Most patients go home after a few days, but sometimes rehabilitation is necessary if preoperative function is impaired
Cervical laminectomy
This surgery is performed from the back of the neck and is used to treat nerve pain in the arm due to a herniated disc or narrowing of the foramen (the channel through which the nerve passes from the spine to the side).
In the operating room the position of the head and neck is carefully treated. An x-ray is used to find the correct segment of the spine and a short cut is made.
The foramen is a space between the bones at the back of the neck through which the involved nerve passes.
A special cutting drill is used to remove bone and expose the nerve in its hole. A microscope is used to give a clear view of the nerve and gently remove the pieces of disc and/or bone around it. Care is taken to ensure that there is no bleeding and that the wound is sutured and closed. A local anesthetic is injected into the wound during closure to help relieve pain.
After the operation there is no need for a collar. Mobility begins the day after surgery.
Cervical forminotomy
This surgery is performed from the front of the neck and is usually used to treat nerve pain due to a herniated disc or bone displacement. Sometimes it is used to treat stenosis on the spinal canal to release pressure on the spinal cord.
The operation is made through a short diagonal cut on one side of the neck, and the duration of hospitalization after the operation is several days.
In the operating room, the position of the head and neck is taken care of. After exposing the front of the cervical spine, an x-ray is used to confirm the correct segment of the spine. The intervertebral disc is removed until the nerve and spinal cord are released.
A microscope is used to give a clear view of the involved nerve and gently remove the pieces of disc or bone around it. The space between the vertebrae is then filled with a hollow implant filled with a synthetic bone graft substitute. Sometimes a brace is used to secure the implant.
In surgeries in which a disc is replaced, an implant is inserted into the space that allows movement in the operated space.
A collar is usually not needed after surgery, and mobility begins the next day.
some discomfort in swallowing may appear but it improves after a few days