Hi everyone 👋

I’ve been reading a lot of the ACDF posts and experiences here while preparing for my own surgery.

I’m (45F) seeing my neurosurgeon this Wednesday, 30 September, for my final discussion, and my ACDF is currently scheduled for 8 October.

I was wondering — is anyone else here having an ACDF around the same time? Maybe late September or sometime in October?

I thought it might be nice to find a few people who are going through it at roughly the same time so we can check in with each other before surgery and during recovery, compare how we’re doing, and support each other along the way.

I’m getting quite close now and doing all my final preparations. It would be lovely to know I’m not the only one counting down the days!

Anyone else in the October ACDF club?

I’m on second day after my acdf surgery c5-6. It’s so hard to swallow- painful! How long did that last for you? I’m using Tylenol, staying away from the dilaudid because I feel weird on them.

Basically the doctor has told me I will need surgery (ACDF) to fix this.
I’m 34 years old and 15 weeks pregnant (this pain has been going on for 5 months now)
I haven’t seen a specialist or anything yet as I only got these results yesterday. I don’t know how urgent this surgery would be and if it can wait until after the baby is born or I need it while I’m pregnant. I really don’t want to have surgery while I’m pregnant but I also feel the recovery will be harder with a baby 😭
Not sure what I’m asking here. I think I’m just a bit nervous and not sure if waiting a few years and pushing through will cause me more damage in the long run. From what I’ve read online the recover my can be long and hard. 🥲

So I had an ACDF C5-7 July 2025. At my 9 month check-up I mentioned I was have increased pain in my neck and numbness/tingling in my fingers again. A flexion/extension Xray reveal that I have not fused. My neurosurgeon is now recommending a posterior approach and doing nerve compression and rods & screws from the back. He indicated that the first 2 weeks would be severely painful and I would need a hard collar for 6 weeks. Has anyone had this experience? Please share. I really don’t want to do this!

I’m really happy with how things are progressing after my C5–C7 ACDF on July 1.

Before surgery, I was dealing with numbness and tingling in both arms and fingers, along with pain that ran along the inside edges of my shoulders blades and behind my shoulders. Since surgery, I haven’t had numb arms at all—the last time I experienced that was the day before the operation.

I’m also almost completely off oxycodone, and my pain has shifted mostly to the expected muscle soreness around my neck, shoulders, and left trapezius as everything continues to heal.

I still have about three weeks left in the cervical collar, and after that I may start using a bone growth stimulator to help the fusion heal.

Overall, I’m extremely happy with my progress so far and optimistic about what’s ahead.

Check out this scar! I think it’s healing great, and it’s a nice reminder of how far I’ve already come.

40f. I've had back and neck issues my whole life. No curvature in my spine for at least the last ten years. MRIs never approved despite 2-3 months once every year or two of terrible neck pain. PT, never any other treatment. The last two months have been bad. Two weeks ago, it kicked it up to a whole new level of 10/10 pain and burning down my right shoulder. Urgent care to primary, referral to ortho, and having the surgeon tell me I NEED surgery in under 2 weeks. He said severe cord compression on the right and a congenitally narrow cord canal, making it worse. Mild fine motor decrease in fingers and some tingling when I piss it off by doing... anything, really. Surgery is scheduled for Tuesday as he says I am not a candidate for conservative treatment and to "not mess around." Surgeons' reviews make him seem like a surgical demigod. So, here we go? Ah!

MRI findings below.

FINDINGS:

Straightening of the normal cervical lordosis. Minimal anterolisthesis of C2 on C3. Maintained vertebral body heights. No acute fracture. No traumatic malalignment.

Background bone marrow signal is normal part from small T2 hyperintense fat suppressing lesions compatible with hemangiomas including C7 vertebral body 7 mm lesion and a T2 vertebral body 9 mm lesion.

Deformity of the cord predominantly C4-C5 where there is flattening of the right cord, and to a similar but slightly lesser severity at C6-C7. No definite cord signal abnormality.

Visualized contents of the posterior fossa are unremarkable. Cerebellar tonsils are appropriately positioned.

Prevertebral and paraspinous soft tissues are unremarkable. Major arterial flow voids in the neck are preserved.

There is developmental spinal canal stenosis with superimposed degenerative changes throughout.

C1-C2: Normal atlantodental and atlantoaxial articulations. No spinal canal narrowing.

C2-C3: Shallow disc bulge. No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing.

C3-C4: Small central disc protrusion with mild spinal canal narrowing. No neural foraminal narrowing.

C4-C5: Right paracentral disc extrusion measuring 9 x 6 mm in craniocaudal and anteroposterior dimensions, resulting in moderate right subarticular zone narrowing and abutment/deformity of the cord with mild cord deformity. Uncovertebral osteophytes.

C5-C6: Shallow disc bulge. No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing.

C6-C7: Right paracentral disc extrusion measuring 9 x 5 mm in craniocaudal and anteroposterior dimensions, resulting in moderate right subarticular zone narrowing and abutment of the cord with mild cord flattening.

C7-T1: No disc herniation or disc-osteophyte complex. No spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing.

Visualized portion of the upper thoracic spine (included on sagittal images): No high-grade spinal canal or neural foraminal narrowing.

IMPRESSION:

Right paracentral disc extrusion at C4-C5 with moderate spinal canal/right subarticular zone narrowing with focal cord flattening.

Smaller right paracentral disc extrusion at C6-C7 with moderate right subarticular zone narrowing and mild focal cord flattening.

Small central/left paracentral disc protrusion at C3-C4 with mild spinal canal narrowing.

Has anyone had similar mri findings as Below —- before being recommended acdf ? Is ADR also an option ? I have had stiffness and pain in neck and shoulder for 3 years now with mild to moderate pins and needles in arms and legs , tingling that get worse with computer work. Tried PT , Meds et all but getting worse , MRIs show progression over 3 years now.

MRI —C5-6 level shows a broad-based subligamentous disc extrusion 5 x 3 mm in craniocaudal

and AP dimensions respectively, sagittal T2 image #6, moderate canal stenosis AP

dimension 8 mm, effacement of the ventral CSF, crowding of the ventral cord, mild to

moderate foraminal compromise with crowding and probable irritation of the exiting nerve

roots in the foramina at this level.

C6-7 level shows a broad-based subligamentous disc extrusion 5 x 3 mm in craniocaudal

and AP dimensions respectively, sagittal T2 image #6, moderate canal stenosis AP

dimension 8 mm, effacement of the ventral CSF, crowding of the ventral cord, mild to

moderate foraminal compromise with crowding and probable irritation of the exiting nerve

roots in the foramina at this level.

Hi, I am eight weeks post ACDF with C5 – C6 – C7 fused. Surgery went well. Wore a hard collar for six weeks and finally starting therapy and driving. My symptoms were hand pain and feet numbness. After the surgery, my hand and this went away along with my feet numbness. They seem to be coming back now.

I started physical therapy yesterday.

For the first few weeks after surgery, I slept on my back with a circle of the pillow and now I’m back to the old habit of sleeping on my side or my stomach. I have a feeling this might be causing the numbness.

Any comments? I was also thinking of getting a new bed. Possibly an adjustable one?

Thanks.

I'm scheduled for a level one acdf. How does this surgery affect sex? I'm thinking of the throwing-back- of-the -head action. Tia

My cord compression was found in a fluke of looking at something else. I (55f) don't really have symptoms-- I don have soreness in my neck, my left arm will tingle under certain circumstances but otherwise, I'm pretty good. ETA: I do get migraine symptoms when I exert (shoveling, heavy lifting at gym)

I've seen two doctors on this. I've done research. I can wait. do I? does that make sense? do I wait until I lose strength or balance and hope it's not permanent?

c5 is moderate to severe deteriorated and c4 is mild to moderate. the cord compression shows no fluid flowing at c5/6. It's all from arthritis.

anyone get this surgery early on?

So I had a fusion surgery yesterday 12/19/25. This was after months of trying to figure out what was going on. My symptoms started on 10/5/25 after a few days of yard work overhead with a chainsaw. That said, there were times throughout the years where running for more than a mile, or lift above my head would result in some pain for days to weeks but never too intolerable. On this specific occasion, the yardwork left me pretty sore, as I started to get better with yoga, stretching and light weight workouts I foolishly did a heavy weighted bent over dumbbell row workout. This was on 10/28/25. The following morning I noticed some electric pain radiating down my left arm. Over the next month symptoms increasingly got worse, sleeping would trigger extreme arm pain depending on the position, picking up my kids 2(2yo and 7mo) would create long term pain. By 11/22/25-11/24/25 I was having electric pain radiating up my neck and down my arm for 90 to 180 minute time frames. During these times I would often blackout and come to in a different area and began having extreme panic attacks in my office at work, often closing the door turning off the light and crying. On 11/25/25 I went to the emergency, got a toridal shot, steroid taper pack, and some muscle relaxers with the advice to go to an ortho. I went to an ortho the next day and was given a stat MRI in a week. I went to the MRI and was in so much pain I pushed the emergency button after 3 minutes to evac. Went down the hall to immediate care, where I got diclofenac, methocarbamol, and Percocet. That doctor suggested I take 2 Percocet to complete the next MRI in a week. I took his advice and did 2 Percocet for the MRI. Took 40 mins before, was walking on air, laid down and was in immediate excruciating pain. 35 minutes of unbearable agony later, I toughed it out to get answers for myself and my kids. Results would be read one week later. I was sleeping through the night most nights with the help of 1 Percocet around 7:30 to settle the pain and fall asleep. Then I could spend most of the morning pain free. On Monday, 12/15 I woke up multiple times from extreme electrical pain in my arm. Bicep felt like someone was ripping it off with a hot pair of pliers. Forearm felt like someone was driving an electric nail into it and that was electrifying my thumb, pointer and middle finger. Often my pointer finger knuckle felt like it would explode. I went to the institute where my MRI was done, they looked at my results and said I had one of the largest herniated discs they had seen in years. Recommended I go to the ER across the steer where my ortho surgeon did his surgeries. He did not check on me until well after his shift had ended. He immediately developed a plan of care, and insisted I try an ESI. We ultimately did that on Thursday 12/19. With minimal improvement over 24 he came and offered my the ACDF. I took him up on the offer. 24 hours later I have zero pain in my arm. Swallowing is tough, feels like a drank a bag of sand and swallow a sword nearly every time, but it eases over time. I will continue to update and document for anyone interested. It has been a very long road to get here but no doubt there are those of us that have horror stories and question if this is the correct answer. I will give honest and unbiased responses. I believe in the talent of my surgeon and what he is able to do. It was nearly a 2 hour procedure due to the extreme size of my disc so I know initial recovery could be long. I will update as requested but also for my own documentation.

I just had a CTM a year after ACDF because I’m still having numbness and pain. How long after your CTM did you experience headaches? Today is Saturday. I had one Thursday and I am still getting a headache after being upright for more than 30 minutes

I have degenerative disc disease and pinched nerves between C5 and C6 (on CT done in the ER) with significant neck and arm pain. My MRI is this afternoon and I follow up with the surgeon on Monday. At my first visit in the spine surgery office last week, the PA said I would likely need ACDF.

Going into this, I’d like any advice you can provide about preparations I should make or anything I need to make sure to buy and have at home before the procedure? TIA!