My Spine - Cervical
At the end of the procedure, a drainage pipe will be placed in the wound and
connected to a reservoir. This will allow all excess blood to drain away.
Following the operation, you will be taken to the recovery room to recover
from your anaesthetic. Thereafter you will be taken to the ward. You may
mobilise after the operation as soon as your specialist allows this and will
usually be from the day following your operation. The hospital staff will
administer prescribed analgesics for any post-operative pain.
Ward care
In the ward you may mobilise as prescribed by your specialist. You may be
required to wear a neck collar to keep the spine stable in the direct post-oper-
ative period and you may be obliged to wear it for six weeks or more.
You will usually be seen by the physiotherapist who will demonstrate the
appropriate neck exercises. The drainage pipe in your neck will most proba-
bly be removed on the day after the operation.
Discharge
You would normally be discharged within the week following surgery with
analgesics to take home. The back of your neck is often very tender and can
be very painful as the operation involves the stripping of the large muscles of
the neck from the vertebrae. This is typically a painful healing process and
can be uncomfortable for up to several months.
It is not uncommon for your neck to be stiff during this period. Wound care
will be discussed with you by the hospital staff or your specialist and can be
difficult in this area as there are skinfolds and a lot of stretching of the skin
that can cause stress on the wound and on its healing process.
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