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What is the success rate of cervical fusion?

The success rate of cervical fusion surgery depends on many factors, including the expertise of the surgeon, the severity and length of time of your symptoms, your age, and underlying medical conditions.

In one study, there was 85-95% improvement or resolutions of the neurologic symptoms for which the cervical fusion was performed. In 5-15% of spinal fusion surgeries, a condition called pseudoarthrosis can occur. In these cases, bone formation does not occur and the cervical vertebrae do not fuse together as intended, which can cause bone instability and pain with movement.

Another potential complication of cervical fusion surgery is called adjacent segment disease, in which the vertebrae above or below the area of the spinal fusion become stressed due to the change in anatomy and the attempts at compensation for the fused vertebrae. This can cause neck pain as well as arm tingling or weakness.  Smoking is a major risk factor for this condition. The risk of this condition developing is about 3% per year.

Pseudoarthrosis and adjacent segment disease are initially treated conservatively, without surgery.  Surgical intervention for these conditions is usually reserved for patients with severe and ongoing symptoms that are refractory to other treatments.

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of ACA compliant major medical plans. Coverage and plan options vary and may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure. You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed.

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