Anterior cervical fusion
Spine surgery
Spine (neck · lower back) · 목 (경추)
The approach is from the front of the neck, and under a microscope the degenerated disc and bone pressing on the nerve are removed. The space left behind is filled with bone graft and a cage — a support that takes the place of the disc — and the vertebrae above and below are fixed together.
Anesthesia, hospital stay and recovery time depend on the extent of injury and your general condition. The operating surgeon explains this after the consultation.
When surgery is indicated
- Compression of a nerve root or the spinal cord by a cervical disc herniation
- Cervical disc symptoms not improving despite conservative treatment
- An unstable segment where decompression alone risks recurrence of symptoms
Anterior cervical fusion — benefits
- The compressed nerve is freed directly from the front while the stability of the segment is secured at the same time.
- Because the segment is fused, recurrence of a disc herniation at the same level is uncommon.
Process
How surgery proceeds
This is the shared pathway for the Surgery Center. Details for each procedure are covered in the consultation.
- 01
Precise diagnosis
MRI and CT are taken the same day and read by a radiologist that same day.
- 02
Surgical consultation
The operating surgeon explains in person why surgery is needed, what the alternatives are and how recovery is expected to go.
- 03
Surgery · inpatient care
The operation is performed in the annex theatre, and recovery is managed on the ward as the condition requires.
- 04
Rehabilitation · follow-up
After discharge the same team continues to follow your progress and rehabilitation in the outpatient clinic.