|  | Surgeries Operations | Surgeries

Neck Surgery Recovery

The success rate for neck surgery is above 90 percent for long-term reduction of pain, according to Dr. Mark McLaughlin on NeckSurgery.com. While every patient is different and post-operative instructions will vary with each surgeon, most patients will recover quickly from neck surgery.

  1. Hospital Stay

    • Neck surgery patients will typically feel well enough to go home after an overnight stay in the hospital.

    Special Diet

    • Patients may experience some difficulty swallowing after neck surgery and may want to eat only soups, milkshakes and other soft foods for a couple of days. Throat soreness and pain will typically subside after a couple of days.

    Incisions

    • Incisions should seal and patients will typically be able to shower three days after the surgery. You may see redness around the incision for about three months.

    Pain Relief

    • Some surgeons may prescribe drugs to help patients cope with discomfort. This pain or discomfort should go away after about the first two weeks following neck surgery.

    Physical Therapy

    • Most patients will not need to undergo physical therapy after neck surgery. If necessary, the surgeon will typically recommend therapy on a monthly basis with scheduled re-evaluations to track the progress and success of therapy.

    Recovery Time

    • Neck surgery recovery is also affected by the length of time you have suffered from neck pain, according to Dr. Mark McLaughlin. While some may feel fine in a couple of days, others may take weeks to recover.

Surgeries - Related Articles