Anterior Cervical Decompression, Fusion & Instrumentation (ACDF) is a surgery to remove a herniated or degenerated disc in the neck. This is removed through an anterior approach, usually in a skin crease, to achieve excellent cosmetic result. A spacer is inserted where the disc was previously to help fuse the adjacent bones together. Plate may be placed for further stability.
For a Cervical Disc replacement, the unhealthy disc is removed and replaced with a Mobi-C or M6-C artificial disc. The goal of arthroplasty surgery is to preserve motion rather than fuse adjacent vertebrae together.
These procedures either remove abnormal disc material (herniation) or overgrown or arthritic bone to relieve pressure in the vertebral canal. The surgical removal of the material that is pressing on the nerve root or the spinal cord will relieve pain, weakness or numbness that was stressing the spinal cord or radiating nerves.
Posterior Cervical Decompression, Fusion & Instrumentation (PCDFI) is a technique that allows for decompression of multiple segments of the cervical spine in patients with multi-level stenosis or deformity of the spine. It also involves placement of screws, connected by rods to afford immediate stability of the cervical spine.
Deformity/Kyphosis refers to an abnormally curved spine. The most commons symptoms with this condition are neck pain, stiffness and difficulty maintaining horizontal gaze. For many people, deformity correction results in improvement of symptoms and their quality of life.
Engineered to replicate your own disc, the M6 is the only artificial disc that incorporates an artificial nucleus (made from polycarbonate urethane) and a woven fiber annulus (made from polyethylene). The M6 artificial nucleus and annulus are designed to provide the same motion characteristics of a natural disc.
During the M6-C disc replacement surgery, a small 3-to-4 centimeter incision is made in the front of your neck to access your cervical spine. The damaged disc is removed (discectomy), and the impinged nerve is then relieved (decompression). The M6 cervical disc is then inserted into the disc space using specialized and precise instruments. After the M6 is successfully placed, the incision is closed.
After surgery, our doctors will give you guidelines for activities and follow up requirements before you leave the hospital. You may undergo therapy to help heal and strengthen your cervical spine. Follow-up examinations are performed after surgery with your physician to assess your recovery.
In a surgery with the Mobi-C Cervical Disc, the unhealthy disc is removed, but instead of a bone spacer or plastic implant along with a plate and screws, a Mobi-C is implanted into the disc space. Where a fusion procedure is intended to eliminate motion at the surgery levels, the goal of a surgery with Mobi-C is to allow motion at those levels.
The technology is intended for use by adults who are skeletally mature and who experience arm pain and/or neurological symptoms – such as weakness or numbness – with or without neck pain at one or two adjacent levels from C3 – C7 in the cervical spine.
Following the insertion procedure, the Mobi-C artificial disc encourages height restoration and a return to physiological mobility of the spinal segment. The unique design of the device allows for the facilitation of both independent and coupled motions that are similar to natural cervical spine motion, and placement requires no invasive keels or screws.