ACDF is a surgical procedure to remove a damaged disc in the neck and stabilize the bones to prevent spinal cord injury. It involves removing the disc from the front of the neck and fusing the bones together using metal plates or a graft. Recovery takes four to six weeks, and complications may include infection or graft rejection.
ACDF stands for Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion, which is a surgical procedure usually performed on patients who have neck or arm pain due to a damaged disc in the neck. The procedure is also performed to stabilize the bones in the neck, in order to prevent spinal cord injury. Surgery is normally performed after less invasive treatment methods, such as physical therapy and medications, have been unsuccessful in treating the pain or stabilizing the lesion.
The term cervical means neck, and the cervical vertebrae are the first seven bones of the spine that run from the skull to the upper back. Between each vertebra is a disc, which is a donut-shaped tissue filled with a cushioning gel that allows the bones to move without rubbing against each other. When the disc becomes damaged, the gel seeps into the surrounding body cavities, putting pressure on the nerves and creating pressure and pain. Discs can be damaged by a traumatic injury such as a car accident, or they can become damaged due to degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, or other conditions that cause the spine to misalign. Discectomy is the surgical removal of the damaged disc.
ACDF describes a surgical procedure in which the surgeon removes the disc across the front or front of the neck. An incision is made in the throat and the esophagus and windpipe are pushed aside so the surgeon can remove the disc. The surgery is similar to PCDF, or posterior cervical discectomy and fusion, in which the surgeon removes the disc from the back of the neck.
ACDF is a more common procedure because it is less painful than PCDF, which requires cutting spinal nerves and thick muscles in the back of the neck; ACDF also carries a lower risk of damaging the spinal cord during surgery. The goal of both surgeries is to remove the damaged disc and stabilize the bones in the neck, and in some cases both procedures are necessary.
After removing the damaged disk, a merge is performed. Fusion describes several methods of connecting two or more bones together to form one continuous bone. The surgeon will often stabilize the area using metal plates screwed into the bones, which maintain alignment and space between the vertebrae. Sometimes a graft is done, in which the surgeon fills the space with the patient’s bone, harvested from the hip, or with donor bone harvested from cadavers. Over time, the patient’s body will grow new bone between and around the graft, further strengthening the fusion.
ACDF usually requires a hospital stay lasting a few days, unless complications require further observation. Recovery at home takes four to six weeks, during which time the patient will typically wear a neck brace or cervical collar to maintain the position of the neck while it is healing. As with any surgical procedure, complications may include reaction to anesthesia, infection, or graft rejection. Some patients report a slight loss of the ability to move their head from side to side or up and down. However, most patients report that the pain relief is worth the slight loss of mobility from the surgery.
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