Posted: 08/01/06 - 23:00 Post subject: discectomy & fusion
I would appreciate some info about procedure of anterior cervical discectomy with fusion. My husband has herniated disk which pressures neural structures…. I don’t really understand this…but his doctor said that he will need this procedure. I am worried, please help me!
Anterior cervical discectomy with fusion is a procedure that involves relieving the pressure placed on nerve roots and/or the spinal cord by a herniated disc or bone spurs. Through a small incision made near the front of the neck the surgeon do following things: removes the intervertebral disc to access the compressed neural structures, relieves the pressure by removing the source of the compression, places a bone graft between the adjacent vertebrae, and ( in some cases) implants a small metal plate to stabilize the spine while it heals. Discectomy involves removing all or part of an intervertebral disc and spinal fusion involves placing bone graft between two or more opposing vertebrae to promote bone growth between the vertebral bodies.
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