What is Anterior Cervical Discectomy?
Anterior cervical discectomy is done on patients who are suffering from cervical disc herniation.
With the help of this neck pain surgery the pressure on the spinal cord or the nerve root is relieved which in turn alleviate neck pain, numbness, weakness and tingling. In this surgical procedure the offending disc is removed.
Discectomy is almost always done with fusion surgery so that the cervical segment is stabilized. In combination spinal fusion as well discectomy neck surgery is known as ACDF surgery or Anterior Discectomy and Fusion.
Anterior cervical surgery is usually done for the treatment of symptomatic cervical herniated disc however in certain cases it may also be done for cervical degenerative disc disease.
How Anterior Cervical Discectomy is performed?
As this surgery is done with an anterior approach, it is done through the front of the neck and not from the back of the neck.
Approaching from the front of the neck provides better access to the spine; in fact it provides access to entire cervical spine. The incision is one or two inches in size and is done horizontally.
The small incision means that only a thin vestigial muscle needs to be cut and then the anatomic planes are followed right down the spine. This technique means that the patient suffers from less post-operative pain.
Anterior Cervical Discectomy Recovery
The recovery period for cervical discectomy is shorter than other traditional surgery approaches as the incision that is made is smaller which leads to less muscle damage.
The patient also feels less pain after the operation as anterior approach provides good yet much uncomplicated pathway to the spine.
The patient also needs shorter healing and recovery time if he is in good health and is not suffering from additional detrimental health conditions.
