How painful is cervical neck surgery?
9) Expect neck pain for 1-2 weeks after surgery at the incision and even extending out to the shoulder. Some people have a flare up of arm pain, twinges in the arms, and tingling down the arms for the first 4 weeks following surgery. This is just inflammation and will settle down.
Typically, patients make a full recovery within two to six weeks.
After surgery, you can expect your neck to feel stiff and sore. This should improve in the weeks after surgery. You may have trouble sitting or standing in one position for very long and may need pain medicine in the weeks after your surgery. You may need to wear a neck brace for a while.
ACDF surgery can usually be done in 1 to 2 hours, but may take up to 3 or more hours. The time depends on how many discs will be removed, how badly the discs or vertebrae [VUR-tuh-brey] are diseased, and other factors. Your surgeon will give you a general idea about how long your surgery might last.