Dr Adriaan Liebenberg My Spine Cervical | Page 125

My Spine - Cervical Ward care In the ward you may walk around freely. You might be expected to wear a neck collar to keep the spine stable in the direct post-operative period and you might be expected to wear it for several months. You will usually be seen by the physiotherapist who will demonstrate the appropriate neck exercises. The drainage pipe in your neck will be removed in the days following your operation. Discharge You would normally be discharged within the week after surgery with anal- gesics to take home. A painful throat and even some hoarseness can be quite common and usually only lasts a few days. Wound care will be discussed with you by the nursing 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 prescribes it. You should refrain from exercises that involve impact, for six to nine months. This would include jogging, mountain biking and equestrian 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 bone growth between the two vertebrae. 125