Details of Anterior Cervical Discectomy-ACD

Anterior cervical discectomy is a procedure to remove damaged disk or bone spurs in your neck. This procedure has very high success rate between 93 to 100 percent. Who can undergo this surgery:

1. If your imaging tests show that you have a herniated or degenerative disc.
2. Remarkable weakness in your hand and arm.
3. If you get no relief from pain with physical therapy.

May include:

• Nerve weakeness
• Instability in standing
• Pain radiating into your buttocks, legs, arms or chest
• Neurological problems
• Headaches

May include:

• Degenerative changes
• Formation of bone spurs
• Herniated discs
• Tumor
• Deformity

May include:

• Physical examination
• Imaging tests including MRI & CT scan.
• Muscle movement
• Electrodiagnostic testing

Nonsurgical treatment:

Pain medication

Physical therapy

Surgical treatment:

During the procedure, the surgeon will make an incision to reach to the herniated disk. Basically, fragment of disk that is pinching the nerve is removed, relieving the pressure and leaving most of the disk intact. If the entire disk is taken out, that space must be filled with a piece of bone or a synthetic bone so that the adjoining vertebrae are then fused together with metal hardware.

May include:

• Excessive bleeding
• Infection
• Continued pain
• Graft dislodgment
• Damage to the trachea/esophagus
• Damage to the spinal cord
• Leakage of spinal fluid
• Injury to nerves or vessels