ACDF Surgery

An anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a surgery done through the front of the back to relieve pressure of the nerves and or the spinal cord as well as stabilize the spine. The A (anterior) in ACDF means that the surgery is done from the neck-front as opposed to the back, the C (cervical) means the neck, the D (discectomy) means that the inter-vertebral disc. Other adjacent discs are removed by performing a discectomy to correctly align the spine and take pressure off the nerves and F (Fusion), means connecting two or more bones in the neck region to ensure stability at the end of the operation.

ACDF surgery is usually used to correct neck complications like fractures, disc herniations, radiculopathy and spinal instability. During the operation the doctor enters the back through the front and removes the spinal disc. The vertebrae below and above are fused using a metal hardware or a bone graft. This helps the bone grow into a strong and solid bone.

Symptoms that suggest you need ACDF Surgery

Having a degenerative or herinated disc disease
Pain in the arm that is worse than that of the neck
Weakness in your hand and stiffness of the neck
Tingling sensations and
Numbness
In case symptoms persist after physical therapy or other ACDF alternatives, there might be a need for ACDF surgery

Benefits of ACDF Surgery

It helps relieve the pressure on the spine that may have been caused by a inter-vertebral disc prolapsed.
To prevent and treat instability of the cervical spine that may have been caused by other illnesses or degenerative changes such as traumas or arthritis.
It relaxes the nerves and treat disorders that cause nerve root compression such as degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, bulging intervertebral disc and spondylosis.
When lack of motion between the vertebrae is the cause of the spine instability, then spinal fusion is done to eliminate any movement which may later create a desirable spine with no more pain for the patient.
Patients with painful degenerative spinal disease or any other related diseases lead a more comfortable lifestyle after surgery due to the elimination of pain.
Other hidden benefits include weight loss.

Risks of ACDF Surgery

Generally, all operations have risks which may include having an infection, blood clotting, bleeding and other reactions. Some of the risks specific to ACDF surgery include;

Swallowing difficulties and hoarseness

Temporary hoarseness may be caused due to the interference of the laryngeal nerve during surgery which supports the vocal chords. It may take a couple of months after surgery for this nerve to fully recover and in some rare cases the hoarseness and swallowing difficulties may persist and require further treatment with an ENT specialist.

Fracture of the hardware

The hardware (plates and screws) used to stabilize the spine may break or fracture before the complete fusion of the bones; this may require a secondary procedure to repair the hardware.

Migration of the bone graft

The bone graft in very rare cases may migrate from the correct position soon after surgery, this will likely happen if plates and screws are not used. If this happens a secondary surgery is required.

Persistent pain and nerve damage

In surgery, there's always risk of nerve damage, in case the damage happens, it may cause numbness, tingling sensations or paralysis. However, the main damage may be caused by disc herination which may permanently damage the nerve; in this case there isn't an amount of surgery that can help.