The plate itself is made of titanium and is designed to stay in forever. It usually takes 10 minutes to apply the plate to the bone, and the technique is quite safe. The instrumentation used makes it very difficult for the surgeon to injure the patient while applying the plate. The biggest disadvantage of using the plate is the added cost of surgery. An MRI scan can be taken with a plate in place since it is made of titanium and will not interfere with that imaging study.
Some people complain of difficulty swallowing following the procedure.
Whether a plate is applied or not does not seem to affect the incidence of swallowing problems. This generally clears up within a few weeks following surgery. If the fusion does not become solid, it is possible that with time the plate will eventually crack. This has occurred in plates used during 1993 but has not been a problem with a newer plate design. Indications for plating a one level fusion have not been established.