Cervical artificial disc replacement
Spine surgery
Spine (neck · lower back) · 목 (경추)
Under a surgical microscope the diseased cervical disc is removed and the space is filled with a purpose-built artificial disc rather than fused with bone. Fusion locks the segment; an artificial disc leaves it able to move.
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
- Nerve compression from a cervical disc herniation
- Symptoms that do not improve with medication, injections or physical therapy
- A patient young enough that the segment should keep its movement rather than be fused
Cervical artificial disc replacement — benefits
- The brace is worn for a shorter time after surgery, so daily life resumes sooner.
- Keeping the cervical segment intact helps limit degenerative change in the segments next to it.
- There is no bone graft to consolidate, so there is no waiting for fusion to take.
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.