Dr Adriaan Liebenberg My Spine Cervical | Page 119

My Spine - Cervical
Discharge
You will normally be discharged two or three days after surgery with anal-
gesics to take home. A painful throat and even some hoarseness can be quite
common and can last for as long as a few months, but usually lasts only for a
few days. Discomfort between the shoulder blades is a frequent occurrence,
because the operation restores the height of the disc space and this causes
temporary discomfort that will usually pass after a few weeks at most. Wound
care will be discussed with you by the hospital staff or your specialist.
Rehabilitation
It is incredibly important to get a lot of rest and exercise following your sur-
gery. Do not try to rush back to work. It is important to walk for exercise and
also exercise in conjunction with the guidelines from your physiotherapist.
You may perform normal activities and should only wear a neck brace if your
specialist prescribed it. You should refrain from exercises that involve impact,
for three months. This would include jogging, mountain biking and equestri-
an pursuits.
Follow-up
Routinely you will receive a date for your follow-up appointment with your
specialist. This may vary from anything between two and six weeks, but you
will be seen earlier if there are any complications. You would usually under-
go an X-ray of your neck a few months after the operation to evaluate the
position of the prosthesis.
It is important to realise that you will have to protect your neck for the rest of
your life and apply good neck habits.
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