If you are going to be in hospital for cervical spine surgery, you may wonder what to expect after your operation. Post-operation procedures can vary from patient to patient as recovery speeds are different. In general, most patients stay for a day or two before being discharged from the hospital. Every patient’s recovery is evaluated, and some patients may stay at a rehabilitation facility after this before heading back to the comfort of their own home.
Before going home
If you are sent to your home, you will be visited by a Nurse or a Therapist to ensure that your recovery is going smoothly. Before being discharged, you must have some basic motor skills that show that you can look after yourself. This includes:
- Getting in and out of bed by yourself
- Walking around by yourself
- Being able to bathe and other personal hygiene activities by yourself
- Be coherent and understand all of the instructions provided for your recovery
- Being able to climb stairs (if your home has stairs)
As the goal of being sent home is to become independent again, you will be encouraged to actively participate so you can do as many things for yourself as you can.
After waking up after cervical spine surgery, you will be in a neck brace and lying on your back. Although you will have assistance from a Nurse to get out of bed, your rehabilitation program will actually in the evening of when you have your surgery. The rehabilitation program includes walking, climbing up and down stairs, leg exercises, bathing, home management, and dressing.
Day 1 of hospitalization
With the supervision of your physical therapist or a nurse, you will sit on the bed’s edge before attempting to stand up and sit down. They may also try and get you to walk up and down a few times with the help of a walking cane or walking frame. These exercises can assist in easing the soreness in your legs and to prevent blood clots from forming in your legs. Ankle pump exercises will also help to stop fluid from building up in the lower limbs. They will also check to ensure that your feet and legs are moving properly, and that the circulation is good.
Day 2 of hospitalization
Day 2 is usually when patients are discharged. The dressing of your wounds may be changed. As you can imagine after the 2nd day of hospitalization, you may feel some pain or discomfort. Medication will assist in keeping down the pain by eating pain killers instead of having it administered through an intravenous drip.
A session with your Physical Therapist will also ensue. This time, the session will focus more on your mobility and safety to help you achieve greater independence. Although you may still feel some discomfort after having the pain relievers, you need to remember to relax. Take some deep breaths, and follow your Physical Therapist’s instructions. Those who are able to breathe well and tighten their muscles will recover faster as they have better circulation and lung capacity.
Once all of your bandages have been removed and you feel much stronger, you can take a shower. Prior to surgery, you would have been fitted with 2 different types of neck braces. Take a shower with your neck brace made out of foam called the Philadelphia Collar. Make sure that the Philadelphia Collar is secure when you are shampooing your hair and towel drying yourself.
After showering, lay on your back and place the Miami J Collar by your side. You will need to take off the Philadelphia Collar by undoing the Velcro and removing the front of the wet collar while still keeping your neck very still. Try washing your neck area with water and soap before patting it dry. If you need shave, use a hand-held mirror and shaver while in this position. You may also need a hand-held mirror to inspect the surgical incision to make sure that there are no signs of infection. If you have a family member or friend present, you may want to get them to check the incision to see whether there are any signs of infection.
After this, you need to put on your dry collar. You will do this by holding the front portion of the collar firmly with one hand, before rolling like a log onto your side. Make sure that your neck is very still and then remove the back part of the Philadelphia Collar. You can then wash and dry the back of your neck before putting on the back of the Miami J by rolling like a log and putting the Velcro straps together. Skin irritation may occur, however you must not use oils, powders, or lotions while your incision is still in the healing process. Instead, wear a silk scarf.