Am going to neruosurgeon on Tues. Internist advised probable surgical intervention. NO numbness but weakness in left hand. Plate with 6 screws inserted. Was off work 9 weeks.
Time is of the essense.
At one year, the majority of patients have the same outcome whether they choose surgery or not. The difference is that they have a scar and their spine anatomy is changed depending what the surgeon does in the operating room. This is a very general comment of course. Each case is different, and only your physician and you can decide what is right for you. Surgery is absolutely indicated when you have myelopathy or evidence of damage to the spinal cord itself and not just the spinal nerve roots.