What You Should Know about Caring for Your Wound After Cervical Spine Surgery for a Herniated Disc

How do I take care of my wound after cervical spine surgery for a herniated disc? When can I take my bandage off after my neck surgery? What is the purple on my scar? What does a cervical spine surgery scar typically look like? How long will I have a scar?

In the video above Dr. Seth Neubardt, a leading spine surgeon treating cervical herniated discs, reviews the important information about the wound for those of you having the anterior cervical discectomy and fusion surgery. He also shows you photos of scars from people who have had the surgery.

The Cervical Spine Surgery Scar

If you need surgery for a cervical herniated disc and are concerned about the procedure leaving a scar on your neck, watch the video. As you will see in the photos shown, the cervical spine surgery scars are barely noticeable.

When performing surgery for a herniated disc, Dr. Neubardt and Dr. Jack Stern make an incision in a crease of the neck, if possible. In most cases, the scar will eventually blend in with the creases in the neck and become basically unnoticeable. Within a year after surgery, you will probably have a difficult time telling which side of the neck the incision was on.

After watching the video, you may also be interested in learning about the recovery time and what to expect immediately after surgery. In the Cervical Herniated Disc Recovery Time video, Dr. Neubardt says within 10-15 minutes after cervical spine surgery you will be awake and can talk. If you handle pain well, you might walk out of the hospital the same day without ever needing a pain pill.

If you still have concerns after watching the videos, discuss them with your surgeon. If you don’t have a surgeon yet and would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Neubardt and Dr. Stern, we welcome you to contact their office.