Artificial Cervical Disc Replacement
What is Cervical Disc Replacement Surgery?
Cervical disc replacement surgery is used to alleviate neck pain caused by the wearing out of one of your spinal discs. When your disc wears out, it begins to shrink in height, causing a painful pinching on the nerves in your neck.
Are you a candidate for cervical disc replacement?
The disc acts as a shock absorber for the spine and allows us to twist and bend. When the disc degenerates or herniates, patients experience symptoms such as pain radiating down the arm or numbness. Often, patients alter their lifestyle to manage the pain of this degenerative condition. Candidates for cervical disc replacement are typically suffering from degenerative disc disease.
Overview of cervical disc replacement surgery
For some patients, artificial disc replacement can be an effective alternative to the conventional treatment of spinal fusion. Fusion and artificial disc replacement are both designed to relieve pain, but some studies show that disc replacement can better restore the flexibility of the neck.
During cervical disc replacement surgery, your spine surgeon will take an anterior approach from the front of your neck to your cervical spine to remove your affected spinal disc. In addition to removing the affected disc, your spine surgeon will also remove any surrounding impinging disc fragments or bone spurs. The disc space is then returned to its normal height to help relieve pressure on your nerves so your back doctor can insert an artificial disc device into the disc space.
Why choose Northwest Orthopaedic Specialists?
The spine, neck, and back doctors at Northwest Orthopaedic Specialists have the training, expertise, and experience to assess, diagnose, and treat your injury or condition individually to your needs.
See a Specialist
To learn more about cervical disc replacement surgery, please request an appointment online, or call 509-444-6325.
Appointment Resources
Once you have scheduled your appointment with one of our neck doctors, please use the link below to obtain our new patient forms and browse through our tips and preparation suggestions for your appointment.