This surgical procedure is done under general anesthesia. The anterior cervical discectomy surgeon first makes an incision in front of the neck and moves aside the soft tissues to reach the front of the spine. The surgeon then removes the damaged discs or any bone spurs that puts pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots. This phase of the procedure is done with an operating microscope with microsurgical and neurosurgical techniques.
The anterior cervical discectomy surgeon then performs either a spinal fusion or fixation. An arthroplasty can also be performed in which the disc is replaced by an artificial cervical disc. This procedure is called Total disc arthroplasty. To perform a spinal fusion, the surgeon replaces the disc with a bone graft taken from the patient’s body or from a bone bank. Then, a titanium plate is screwed to put the bones in place ensuring stability. Once the bones get fused, the spine stabilizes.