Post-Surgery Symptoms After Cervical Spine Surgery - Neurosurgery

Cervical cone surgery status?

---

Hello Doctor: I have seen many doctors, but in fact, each doctor's opinion is different.
In March 2016, I sustained an injury during a chiropractic session, and the next day, when I tilted my head down and tried to lift it, I experienced shaking.
An MRI showed mild cervical spinal stenosis, with herniated discs at C3-4 and C5-6 compressing the spinal nerves, as well as C6-7 affecting the right hand nerve root.
There was also mild spondylolisthesis at C3-4.
In April 2016, I experienced weakness in my left calf, and my foot was also difficult to move.
An emergency examination of my lumbar spine showed no issues, and I was discharged.
After nearly 14 days of bed rest, my condition improved, and my strength gradually returned.
SSEP indicated abnormalities in the left tibial nerve.
There were also nerve conduction abnormalities at C6-7 and L5-S1.
I noticed muscle atrophy in my left calf.
In April 2016, I discovered that when I raised my arms, my shoulders would shake slightly.
When I lifted my legs, my lumbar spine would also shake a bit.
I then tried to protect my neck by avoiding tilting or turning my head.
In August 2016, I accidentally bent over and immediately felt a sharp pain, but after resting, it subsided.
However, I felt a membrane-like sensation on the outer layer of my knee.
For a while, my calf would feel numb, but an MRI showed no nerve compression, just some degeneration.
In August 2016, I accidentally turned my head, and then I experienced a tingling sensation in my lower limbs and exaggerated knee reflexes.
During a consultation, the doctor recommended surgery due to spinal nerve compression.
Throughout the consultation process, some doctors suggested fusion from C3 to C7, others from C5 to C7, or artificial discs, and some suggested a posterior approach.
Ultimately, I chose the posterior approach because I indeed had some spinal canal stenosis, with compression extending from C3 to C7.
I underwent surgery in September 2016.
Before the surgery, I still experienced symptoms such as an unstable feeling in my lumbar spine (shaking sensation), and when I raised my arms, I felt the same sensation.
When I placed my right hand on my abdomen, my little finger and ring finger would feel numb, and when I placed my left hand on my abdomen, my entire palm would feel numb.
In the days following the surgery, I felt slight weakness in my left calf, which I immediately reported to the doctor.
The doctor said it was fine and that I would be okay with rehabilitation, stating that the surgery was very successful and that my lumbar MRI from August 2016 showed no issues.
In October 2016, I felt a burning sensation in my left calf, followed by my right calf, and then my left hand also experienced a burning sensation.
This feeling gradually decreased over the following days.
In November 2016, my left calf felt unusually sore, but I still had strength.
Recently, I have felt some stiffness in my left foot.

-----------------------------------------
Post-surgery side effects include pain in both arms, which I attribute to possible nerve repositioning, and this pain improved significantly after a month and a half.
Doctor, my question is: Initially, the doctor explained that the surgery would provide space for the nerves to relax and indicated that I should be able to move my head normally.
However, after the surgery, when I returned for suture removal, the doctor asked me to perform head movements, and on the way home, I experienced that tingling sensation and slight soreness in my left calf again.
My symptoms did not improve after the surgery; instead, I developed additional symptoms such as soreness and burning sensations.
I wonder if the compression is still in the front, limiting the effectiveness of the spinal repositioning? I still wear a neck brace to protect my neck due to occasional tingling and burning sensations.
I found literature indicating these are symptoms of cervical spondylotic myelopathy...
When I consulted the original surgeon, he said it was nothing and advised me to see a psychiatrist.
What can I do to help myself now? Should I undergo another MRI to check if there has been any improvement in spinal compression?
Regarding my lumbar spine, some doctors who reviewed the MRI mentioned slight joint looseness, some said soft tissue injury, others noted mild degeneration, and some said there was nothing wrong.
My subjective symptoms in the lumbar region include feeling shaking when lifting and lowering one leg, and I cannot cross my legs.
Sometimes I experience back pain after 30 minutes, but resting in bed alleviates it.
Is it possible that there is a chance of lumbar spondylolisthesis? Thank you, Doctor, for answering my questions.

---

Xiao Xian, 20~29 year old female. Ask Date: 2016/11/22