Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a type of neck surgery that involves removing a damaged disc to relieve spinal cord or nerve root pressure and alleviate corresponding pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling. A discectomy is a form of surgical decompression, so the procedure may also be called an anterior cervical decompression.

The surgery has 2 parts:

• Anterior cervical discectomy. The surgery is approached through the anterior, or front, of the cervical spine (neck). The disc is then removed from between two vertebral bones.
• Fusion. A fusion surgery is done at the same time as the discectomy operation in order to stabilize the cervical segment. A fusion involves placing bone graft and/or implants where the disc originally was in order to provide stability and strength to the area.