What is Cervical Spine (neck) Surgery?

The cervical spine is the most superior portion of the vertebral column, lying between the cranium and the thoracic vertebrae.

Cervical Spine Surgery an anterior discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is the most commonly used method for most cervical herniated discs. During the surgery, the disc is removed through a small incision in the front of the neck.

Risk factors for cervical spondylosis include:

Age Cervical spondylosis is a normal part of aging.

Occupation Jobs that involve repetitive neck motions, awkward positioning or a lot of overhead work put extra stress on your neck.

Neck injuries Previous neck injuries appear to increase the risk of cervical spondylosis.

Genetic factors Some individuals in certain families will experience more of these changes over time, while others will not.

Smoking Smoking has been linked to increased neck pain.

Symptoms of Cervical Spondylosis

Most people with cervical spondylosis don’t have significant symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they can range from mild to severe and may develop gradually or occur suddenly.

One common symptom is pain around the shoulder blade. Some complain of pain along the arm and in the fingers. The pain might increase when:

• Standing
• Sitting
• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Tilting your neck backward
• Another common symptom is muscle weakness. Muscle weakness makes it hard to lift the arms or grasp objects firmly.

Other common signs include:

• A stiff neck that becomes worse
• Headaches that mostly occur in the back of the head
• Tingling or numbness that mainly affects the shoulders and arms, although it can also occur in the legs
• Symptoms that occur less frequently often include a loss of balance and a loss of bladder or bowel control. These symptoms warrant immediate medical attention.

What are the benefits of having surgery?

Your consultant will only offer an operation if they think that your condition will be improved by the surgery. If you have nerve or cord compression, your worsening symptoms should be halted but not always cured. If you do not have surgery, further compression could cause you more pain and may result in disability.

Cervical spine surgery can be used to relieve pressure placed on a nerve root by a damaged or abnormal component of the spine, usually a disc or vertebra. It can also be used to correct fractures or dislocations of the bones, ligaments, and tendons that protect and stabilize the spinal cord. The goals of cervical spine surgery include:

• Relieve pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness
• Restore nerve function
• Stop or prevent abnormal motion in the spine.