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What Can Go Wrong With Neck Surgery?

All surgeries come with some risks. Specific things that can go wrong with neck surgery include hoarseness and difficulty swallowing, problems with your vertebrae fusing, nerve damage, bone graft migration, adjacent-segment disease and hardware failure.

  1. Throat Complications

    • Neck surgery affects the laryngeal nerve which can cause temporary hoarseness and trouble swallowing. It could take several months for this nerve to completely heal.

    Fusion Risks

    • After spinal surgery, your vertebrae could fail to fuse. This is often caused by patients who continue to smoke after neck surgery. Osteoporosis, malnutrition and obesity can also prevent fusion.

    Nerve Damage

    • Neck surgery can cause nerve damage which could result in paralysis or numbness. Nerve damage can be permanent or temporary.

    Bone Graft Repositioning

    • In about 1 to 2 percent of neck surgeries, the bone graft has moved incorrectly. Bone graft migration typically occurs when plates, screws and other hardware are not used to secure the bone graft in place.

    Vertebrae Stress

    • Adjacent-segment disease, or transitional syndrome, is caused when the vertebrae above or below fusion has additional stress. This extra stress can cause pain and discomfort.

    Hardware Failure

    • Metal screws, plates, rods and other hardware are used to secure the spine. At times, this hardware can break before the vertebrae fuses. Another surgery could be necessary if this occurs.

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