History :
This lady was 52 years old lady who came with complaints severe pain in left upper limb pain since 3 months, which was associated with tingling and numbness.
The pain was so severe that she was unable to do any work and had constant tears in her eyes, her sleep was also disturbed. She had tried all types of medications and treatments but without any pain relief.
For the last couple of weeks she had relief only on lifting her hand over the head, as soon as she would bring her hand down the pain would start.
MRI findings were consistent with the patient’s reported symptoms.
- MRI, it reveals disc degeneration and a left paracentral and foraminal disc protrusion at the C5/6 level. This protrusion was causing mild compression of the spinal cord.
- These findings align with the patient’s symptoms of severe pain in the left upper limb, along with tingling, numbness, and difficulty in performing daily activities.
Operation :
The surgery performed was a C5-C6 Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) by Spine Surgery Specialist in Pune Dr. Sangram Rajale.
Anterior Cervical Discectomy and fusion:
This is a procedure involving, removing the herniated disc between the C5 and C6 vertebrae in the cervical spine. The disc was pressing on nerves, causing the pain, tingling, and numbness in the patient’s left upper limb. By removing the disc, pressure on the nerves is relieved.
After the disc is removed, the space is filled with a bone graft and an artificial implant, such as the a Cage in this case.
Condition On Discharge :
After the C5-C6 Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF) surgery, the patient’s condition remained stable, and she was transferred to her room for recovery.
Remarkably, her previously excruciating upper limb pain had diminished completely, marking a 100% reduction in pain levels.
After-surgery Encouragingly, on the very next day of surgery, she showed remarkable progress in walking and climbing stairs with ease and comfort.
Additionally, a positive sign of neurological recovery was observed as active finger movements in both hands, suggesting that the surgery effectively addressed any potential nerve compression or damage, leading to restored motor function and enhanced quality of life for the patient.
Faq's
What was her diagnosis : Cervical radiculopathy is a condition that affects the nerve roots in the neck. Here are some key points about it:
Cervical radiculopathy is a condition that affects the nerve roots in the neck. It is caused by compression, irritation, or injury of the nerve roots, often due to a herniated disc, sometimes due to arthritis, or trauma.
The main symptom of cervical radiculopathy is pain that spreads into the arm, neck, chest, upper back and/or shoulders. Often, this affects just one side of your body. A person with radiculopathy may also experience sensory issues, such as numbness or tingling in fingers or hands, motor problems, such as muscle weakness, lack of coordination, or the loss of reflexes in your arms or legs.
To make a diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy, a physical examination and some imaging tests, such as X-rays, MRI, or CT scan are done. .
Treatment may involve conservative methods, such as medication, physical therapy, or injections, or surgery, if the symptoms are severe or do not improve with conservative treatment.