Disc Replacement Recovery Process: What To Expect

By Author: Monica Quinn
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If you need an artificial disc replacement (ADR), it is crucial to understand how to plan your life after it. While recovery from ADR is usually faster than recovery from spinal fusion, the process still takes at least several weeks. Read on to find out what to expect from the first day after surgery till your full recovery.

Recovery Process
You will be transported to another room for recovery once you have awakened from your procedure. For cervical disc replacement, this could be a 23-hour "same-day" recovery room or a room on a hospital's surgical floor if you require overnight care. Patients after lumbar disc replacement surgery go home the same day, although some of them may need to stay in the hospital overnight. While you are at the clinic, someone will meet you and show you how to protect your surgery site from stress and strain and how to perform daily activities safely.

You will be responsible for dressing changes once you are discharged home (note you will not be able to drive, so make sure to order a taxi). Simply remove the existing ...
... dressing and replace it with a new sterile dressing. Your surgical incision can be left uncovered by the second day following the ADR operation, but do not submerge it in a bath or hot tub for at least two to three weeks.

You normally do not need to wear a cervical collar from the time you are discharged until your first follow-up consultation if you have a cervical artificial disc replacement. After the surgery, you will be given oral painkillers, both opioid, and non-opioid. While you should not feel much pain or discomfort, it is preferable to avoid pain than to try to stop it after it has begun. It’s better to switch from opioid to non-opioid drugs as soon as you can handle pain.

You will have your first postoperative follow-up appointment one to two weeks after ADR surgery. Your spine surgeon will monitor your recuperation and how the surgery went initially, as well as assist you in understanding the next steps in rehabilitation. Physical therapy may begin two weeks after ADR surgery, but your first appointment may be only four weeks later. Your physical therapy program will begin slowly and gradually increase in intensity for six to twelve weeks.

How Often Will You Have the Follow-Up Appointments
Your first meeting with your spine surgeon should be two weeks after your artificial disc replacement operation. If everything goes well at that visit, you will be scheduled for a second follow-up appointment two weeks later or at week four after artificial disc replacement surgery. The interval between appointments rises after the fourth appointment with your spine surgeon. You should expect to see your spine surgeon three months, six months, and one year after surgery. Even if you feel fine, it is best to return once every one to two years to ensure that the artificial disc is working properly.

In most cases, physical rehabilitation formally begins four weeks after artificial disc replacement surgery. Your first involved physical therapy session following lumbar disc surgery may not occur until week six. People either receive one to two in-office and one to two at-home physical therapy sessions per week for four to eight weeks. You should be able to regain strength, flexibility, and spinal motion during this period.

Wound Care & Infection Prevention
Wound treatment after ADR is simple. You will most likely be discharged from the hospital with a dressing over your surgery wound. If instructed, you may need to change the dressing once or twice during the first one to two days after ADR at home. Dressing changes are a great time to look for signs of healing and infection. Your surgical site is normal to be somewhat pink and slightly swollen and to generate a small amount of clear, straw-colored, or light pink fluid.

If your surgical wound is red, bloated, or generates a lot of fluid, especially white or green fluid, it could be infected. Also, you may feel discomfort (particularly when the incision is touched), warmth, and a foul odor emanating from the site. People with surgical wound infections may develop a fever and feel poorly, but this is not always the case; thus, do not wait for symptoms of illness to appear before getting medical assistance for a potentially infected wound.

When To Expect A Full Recovery
When patients will fully recover from artificial disc replacement surgery is difficult to predict. Remember that the spinal bones will continue to grow into the artificial disc, and bone remodeling will occur for several months to several years after surgery, strengthening the union. However, patients can normally resume certain activities, like driving, within two weeks following surgery and can return to work within two to six weeks, depending on whether their job includes manual labor. In most situations, full recovery following lumbar disc replacement takes a few weeks longer than from cervical disc replacement. However, most people can return to even strenuous activities after 12 weeks of artificial disc replacement surgery.

Greetings, my name is Monica. I graduated from New York Medical College and work as a nurse in Queens Hospital at the moment. The thing I love the most is morning jogging, because it is a wonderful way to keep myself in tonus. I like to communicate with people who care about their health. I became a vegetarian five years ago. Now my daily menu consists mainly of vegetables, fruits and different cheeses. I am a member of water polo team and I love gardening. I like to see how huge flowers grow out of the tiny petal, it dazzles me because I love spending my time outdoors. My goal is to visit all the USA parks, and then all over the world)