What to Expect After Cervical Artificial Disc Replacement

Chronic neck pain can really affect your quality of life. Unfortunately, the discs in your neck are prone to injury and degeneration over time. And once the damage is done to your discs, it can’t be repaired on its own. This is where a procedure called cervical artificial disc replacement comes in to help.

Dr. Max Steuer, MD, and skilled physician assistant Carter Cooper, PAC, have the knowledge and expertise to help you ease your chronic neck pain. Our Atlanta-based team specializes in cervical artificial disc replacement to help you kick your pain for good.

What is a cervical artificial disc replacement?

Your spine is a very complex part of your body, made up of bony vertebrae that protect your spinal cord. Between your vertebrae are jelly-like discs called intervertebral discs. These discs help with shock absorption and spinal movement.

But due to the wear-and-tear your spine takes daily, these discs are very prone to injury. Even if you manage to escape injuring your intervertebral discs, they degenerate over time, which may leave you in pain.

However, there’s a revolutionary treatment that can help when you’ve suffered disc injury or degeneration in your neck. Cervical artificial disc replacement is a surgical procedure that Dr. Steuer uses to remove your damaged disc and replace it with a prosthetic disc.

The prosthetic disc is made to mimic your natural disc completely, meaning you won’t even know that it’s there. However, once the artificial disc is in place, you’ll have less pain and increased mobility after your recovery.

When you need cervical artificial disc replacement

If you’re suffering from chronic neck pain that’s affecting your life, you might be a candidate for this type of surgery. At your appointment, Dr. Steuer evaluates your symptoms and performs a physical exam. He also orders tests like an X-ray or MRI to get a picture of what your discs look like.

Once he gets a good picture of what’s causing your pain, Dr. Steuer determines if a cervical disc replacement is the right treatment for you. It’s usually reserved as a last resort when other conservative treatments fail to help your pain. 

Cervical disc replacement surgery is also only successful for certain spine conditions. Dr. Steuer recommends this type of procedure if you have the following conditions:

• Herniated disc
• Degenerative disc disease
• Nerve compression
• Pain in your neck 
• Radiating pain down your arms
• Numbness or weakness

If you meet the above criteria and have exhausted all other treatment options, Dr. Steuer may move forward with a cervical artificial disc replacement to relieve your pain and increase your spinal mobility.

Recovery: What you should expect

Dr. Steuer performs minimally invasive artificial disc replacement using small incisions.

After Dr. Steuer performs the surgery, you’ll be moved to the post-anesthesia care unit to recover. From there, you’ll either go home to recover or spend the night in the hospital for observation. This is dependent on your overall health and how well you tolerate the procedure.

Dr. Steuer may have you wear a soft or rigid neck brace for the first couple weeks to ensure stability of your neck so the artificial disc can heal properly. You’ll want to take it easy for the first week or so, but you can eat a normal diet and get up for short walks to help with mobility.

Soon after surgery, you want to start physical therapy. This helps you regain normal motion of your spine and decreases pain and stiffness related to surgery. When you start therapy is dependent on your initial recovery time and your overall condition.

In many cases, you should be able to return to your typical activities in two weeks or less. However, to ensure your neck heals completely, get Dr. Steuer's approval for any activities first.

Don’t continue to suffer from unbearable neck pain. Call our office or request an appointment online today.