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Cervical Spine Surgery

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Cervical Spine - Quick Facts

The section of the spine that runs up through your neck is known as the cervical spine.  It consists of seven vertebrae and eight pairs of spinal nerves that exit the foramen (C1 - C8).  Cervical herniated discs and cervical stenosis are the most common problems that occur in this region of the spine.

Cervical Spine Surgery Information

Once other forms of conservative treatments such as rest, medicine and physical therapy have failed and the patient is either still feeling pain or the pain is intensifying, cervical surgery may be considered.  If there is evidence that the spinal cord is being compressed, cervical spine surgery may be an option to consider as well.

Why Have Cervical Spine Surgery

Cervical spinal surgery is performed when all other methods of treatment have failed and the patient can no longer deal with the pain being caused or the pain is progressively worsening.  It is generally performed to relieve symptoms of pain, numbness, tingling or weakness and restore function to a damaged or abnormal nerve.  A cervical spinal fusion may also be performed to provide stability in the cervical region of the spine (neck).  A cervical spinal fusion is often done when a disc (herniated) is removed from the cervical spine and stability from the loss of this disc is compromised.  Once the vertebrae are fused together, there is no longer any need for the vertebral disc as the spine has been stabilized.  This sometimes comes at a price of reduced mobility in the cervical spine.

Conditions treated with cervical spine surgery:

• Degenerative disc disease
• Pinched nerve
• Traumatic spine injury
• Herniated disc
• Spinal arthritis

Risks and Complications of Cervical Surgery

Like many major surgeries, cervical spine surgery has its share of risks and complications. 
Possible risks for cervical surgery are:

• Spinal cord Injury
• Nerve damage
• Esophagus injury
• Injury to the carotid artery or vocal cords
• Bone fusion failure
• Failed surgery syndrome
• Infection
• Blood loss

In some very rare instances, complications can be as severe as paralysis or even death.  Before undergoing your surgery, your doctor will go over in detail the risks involved.

What is Revision Surgery

If there is a spinal deformity present in a patient, revision surgery is often performed to correct it.  Depending on the problem, the surgery may require operating from both the front and back of the neck.

There is a higher risk for complications to occur during cervical spine revision surgery.  The difficulty of the surgery is higher than the first surgery making it tougher for the surgeon to relieve the patient’s pain and restore nerve function.  There is also an increased chance of developing long term chronic neck pain after undergoing cervical revision surgery.