Cervical Treatment Options

What Is Cervical Artificial Disc Surgery? Cervical artificial disc surgery is a type of joint replacement procedure, or arthroplasty, which involves inserting a cervical artificial disc into the intervertebral space after a natural cervical disc has been removed. A cervical artificial disc is a prosthetic device designed to maintain motion in the treated vertebral segment. A cervical artificial disc essentially functions like a joint, allowing for flexion, extension, side bending and rotation. The PRESTIGE® Cervical Disc is the first artificial disc to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in the cervical spine. Why Do I Need This Procedure? The intervertebral discs of the cervical spine are very important for the normal mobility and function of your neck. When healthy, they act as “cushions” for the individual bones of the spine, or...

What Is A Cervical Laminoplasty? A cervical laminoplasty is a spine surgery that involves reshaping/repositioning bone to relieve excess pressure on the spinal nerve(s) in the cervical spine, or neck. The name of the procedure is derived from the Latin word lamina (thin plate, sheet or layer), and the Greek term plastos (to mold). A laminoplasty differs from a laminectomy in that the lamina is repositioned rather than removed. Why Do I Need This Procedure? Spinal stenosis is a condition caused by a gradual narrowing of the spinal canal. This narrowing happens as a result of the degeneration of both the facet joints and the intervertebral discs. The facet joints also enlarge as they become arthritic, which contributes to a decrease in the space available for the nerve roots. Bone spurs, called osteophytes also can form and grow into the spinal canal, and connecting ligaments...

What Is An Anterior Cervical Corpectomy with Fusion? The term corpectomy is derived from the Latin words corpus (body) and -ectomy (removal). The procedure typically involves accessing the cervical spine through an anterior approach, or from the front. Spinal fusion is usually necessary because of the amount of vertebral bone and/or disc material that must be removed to achieve sufficient decompression of the neural structures. Spinal fusion involves placing bone graft or bone graft substitute between two or more affected vertebrae to promote bone growth between the vertebral bodies. The graft material acts as a binding medium and also helps maintain normal disc height - as the body heals, the vertebral bone and bone graft eventually grow together to join the vertebrae and stabilize the spine. Why Do I Need This Procedure? Nerve compression in the cervical can cause neck...

What Is Anterior Cervical Discectomy With Fusion? Cervical refers to the 7 vertebrae of the neck. Discs are the spongy, cartilaginous pads between each vertebra, and ectomy means “to take out”. In a cervical discectomy, the surgeon accesses the cervical spine through a small incision in the neck and removes all or part of the disc - and/or in some cases bone material - that’s pressing on the nerves and causing pain. Spinal fusion involves placing bone graft between two or more affected vertebrae to promote bone growth between the vertebral bodies. The graft material acts as a binding medium and also helps maintain normal disc height – as the body heals, the vertebral bone and bone graft eventually grow together to join the vertebrae and stabilize the spine. Why Do I Need This Procedure? If you have a herniated disc, this means that the nucleus...

Cervical foraminotomy is an operation to enlarge the space where a spinal nerve root exits the cervical spinal canal to relieve the symptoms of a "pinched nerve." Indications for Operation Compression of the cervical nerve roots can cause neck pain, stiffness, and pain radiating into the shoulder, arm, and hand, as well as numbness, tingling and/or weakness in the arm and hand. Protruding or ruptured discs, bone spurs, and thickened ligaments or joints can all cause narrowing of the space where the nerve exits the spinal canal and cause the above symptoms. Patients who do not improve with conservative treatment may be candidates for the operation. What happens afterward? Some pain at the operative site is expected, but generally resolves over time and can be controlled with oral pain medicines. Some patients can be discharged the same day of surgery, but most patients will require 24-48 hours in the...