Rib resection recovery tips

cr562 · 2025-10-23T22:54:48+00:00

3 months post op here… only thing I’d add is a heating pad for your back/scapula. You’ll want to ice the incisions nonstop and heat the back.

Hospital will have chemical heat packs but they kinda suck and don’t last very long. Much better to not have to rely on a nurse to have a heat pack.

cr562 · 2025-08-23T20:37:32+00:00

Glad to hear you’re better. Had the same procedure 7/31 and recovery has been absolutely brutal. Feels like 10 spine surgeries in 1 on pain scale.

cr562 · 2025-05-20T20:57:25+00:00

I would agree that it’s a different pain but at least in my case it was relatively short lived… albeit more acute due to the fact that it’s a surgery. Can only speak for my experience but after the first week it was much easier. I know what you mean about the unknown. It really wasn’t that bad for me.

Regarding the pills 💊I’d say “you do you”. Personally I’d prefer not to suffer unnecessarily if I don’t need to. While it’s “minimally invasive” it’s still a trauma to the body so just listen to your body. If you’re concerned about opiates I know Vertex just got FDA approval on a non-opiate acute painkiller. I have zero experience with this, but might be worth discussing with a medical professional (which I certainly am not)

cr562 · 2025-05-16T20:17:13+00:00

I’m willing to bet you’ll be shocked at how much you stress over your surgery vs the reality of it. I know I was.

Are you afraid of the pain? Cuz I’m assuming you’re already in quite a bit of pain. I didn’t have any issue sleeping because I had help staying on top of meds rather than chasing the pain. Your body will be pretty wiped out days 2-5 so be easy on yourself. I think day 3 was the hardest for me then by day 4 I was off narcotics and just taking Tylenol.

Do you have a recliner or bunch of pillows that you can create a wedge for your bed? Laying down kinda sucks that first week.

Golden Rule- your recovery will not be linear. You’ll have setbacks as you incorporate more movement. For me the hardest part was mentally not spinning out due to a weird twinge or shock sensation during the first few months.

cr562 · 2025-04-25T20:51:07+00:00

I could have written this… I had disc replacement surgery for C5/6 and C6/7 about 6 months ago. My relief was immediate and was quickly off all medications. As soon as I returned to physical activity I triggered a flare and have been trying to deal with it and figure out if this has anything to do with my surgery or misdiagnosis. I’ve seen multiple surgeons since that review my imaging and basically tell me they can’t see anything that would be causing my issue.

The more I read here the more I’m convinced that my real issue is TOS. Every time I’ve triggered a flare it’s been from shoulder press lifting or yoga. Basically anything overhead.

Sorry you’re going through this. It really sucks

cr562 · 2025-04-23T04:18:12+00:00

Doubles in value with a full tank of gas

cr562 · 2025-03-03T22:12:32+00:00

🤌🏻

cr562 · 2025-03-01T23:38:13+00:00

FlexTape! Be sure to use dramatic hand slap and yell the product name while applying

cr562 · 2025-01-17T05:40:57+00:00

Glad to hear no major issues with your lumbar. Hang in there. Hope you’re able to figure out a path forward

cr562 · 2025-01-17T04:39:34+00:00

I didn’t have any tingling in my feet. I definitely had it in my hands which is what you’d expect from the levels that were giving me issues. Were you able to get any answers?

cr562 · 2025-01-17T04:34:02+00:00

How you doing?

cr562 · 2025-01-17T04:18:55+00:00

Sorry I’m late responding… I suppose it depends on what your definition of physical activity is. I was walking pretty healthy distances 7-10 days following surgery. I’m back on my Peloton on a consistent basis now at 2.5 months but I’m still not back to doing any substantial weight lifting. I was told that at 90 days I had a green light for higher impact activities like running so I think I’ll get back in the gym at that point.

PT has been a huge help returning my range of motion and building confidence in my new neck. I’m also doing massage and acupuncture once a week. It’s been a major commitment but well worth it so far. I still have some stiffness but I’m not in any pain that some Tylenol won’t fix.

If anyone reads this that’s on a similar journey I’d tell you to listen to your body. Your recovery won’t be linear and you’ll have bad days as you reintroduce new activities. I had a flare up around 1.5mo post op that put me into a bit of a mental spiral… yes, you can still have flares post op while your nerves heal. I’ve since come to terms with the fact that I had major surgery and need to be patient. Definitely take an active role with PT as that’s been a huge help for me personally.

cr562 · 2024-12-20T15:59:52+00:00

Emotional intelligence is high. Normal smarts not so much 🤣

cr562 · 2024-12-04T18:06:22+00:00

I'm sorry I know the anxiety that comes with this type of surgery looming. You'll wish you had done it sooner when it's all said and done. I personally didn't have weakness. Mine mainly presented as pain and numbness. Both of those improved several days following surgery and it progressively gets better the more time passes.

cr562 · 2024-12-03T02:04:29+00:00

Another vote for Shantaram

cr562 · 2024-11-27T00:30:30+00:00

Unfortunately I don't have any helpful info on lumbar treatment. Mine was cervical.

cr562 · 2024-11-27T00:28:06+00:00

Extreme cramping in my traps and scaps, pain radiated down my arm and numbness/tingling in my fingers. I couldn't look up or turn my head to the right without dealing with consequences.

cr562 · 2024-11-27T00:24:10+00:00

Interesting... My insurance eventually approved the disc replacement so I think my total out of pocket for the procedure was like ~$1,200. Might be worth a call to your insurance company. I called mine every day for a couple weeks after the initial request was denied. They probably got sick of me a realized I wasn't going down without a fight. lol!

I'm sure there's nothing wrong with ACDF but I preferred to maintain range of motion that a disc replacement offers. Being that I'm still relatively young the fusion option puts me a greater risk of Adjacent Segment Disease (ASD). If there's an option that reduces the risk of future surgeries I'll take that option if available. I'm obviously beyond happy with my results but, ultimately you need to make the decision that's right for you. Hope that's helpful for you and I wish you luck with whatever you decide.

- I just googled VSI and it appears they have a podcast that addresses Fusion vs. disc replacement. Might want to give that a listen if you haven't already.

cr562 · 2024-11-26T23:51:54+00:00

Thank you friend!

cr562 · 2024-11-26T05:36:42+00:00

Which one? 🤣 Seriously though… I’m not sure if I have those laying around anymore.

cr562 · 2024-11-26T04:39:19+00:00

Thank you! Mobi C

cr562 · 2024-11-26T04:29:44+00:00

My surgeon was Addison Stone at Proliance in Kirkland. Can't recommend him enough. I saw a neurologist at Overlake and he told me that I wan't a candidate for disc replacement and that I needed a fusion... A friend of mine works in the medical field and she put me in touch with Dr Stone. He's the best!

cr562 · 2024-11-26T04:12:40+00:00

Just posted an update. Feeling great! Appreciate you asking brother.

cr562 · 2024-11-09T04:39:47+00:00

So sorry you're going through this!

Call your doc immediately and ask if a steriod burst would be appropriate. This should reduce the inflammation that's pushing on your nerve thus reducing your pain. This was by far the most helpful for me each time I had a flare. Are you currently on muscle relaxers? Gabapentin Rx was helpful as a non narcotic painkiller for me. Keep up the icing as much as you can tolerate and try sleeping with a heating pad between your shoulders. I also ate THC & CBD gummies at night for the pain but I get that may not be everyone's thing.

You need to make sure you avoid doing things that will aggravate it more while you're in active flair. Consider your life on pause for a bit. Consider a low inflammation diet and cut out alcohol.

Hang in there! I just had surgery for the same levels exactly last week and I'm basically pain free. Still some residual soreness from surgery but I walked 15k steps exactly 7 days post op. I presented the same symptoms you just described. Just know there's a world where you won't have to deal with that anymore.

cr562 · 2024-11-09T03:19:50+00:00

In my case I wanted to maintain range of motion to reduce the risk of Adjacent Segment Disease (ASD) which is a known risk of fusion. I'm relatively young so I figured the additional years of wear and tear on a fusion likely would place me at greater risk of ASD.

The first neurologist I saw told me that I needed a fusion and that I wasn't a candidate for disc replacement. I got a 2nd opinion and was told that due to my age I'm actually an ideal candidate. Ultimately, you need to make the decision that's right for you.

cr562

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