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What Is Involved in Neck Surgery?

Neck surgery, also known as anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), typically lasts one to three hours. While post-operative instructions will vary with each surgeon and patient, neck surgeries involve several standard procedures: preparing the patient, making the incision, removing the disc and disc fragments, decompressing the nerve, preparing the bone graft fusion and closing the incision.

  1. Patient Preparation

    • You will lie on your back and anesthesia will be administered. Once asleep, your neck will be cleansed and prepped for surgery. If you will be undergoing a fusion using your own bone, your hip will also be prepped for a bone graft.

    Skin Incision

    • A 2-inch skin incision will be cut on the right and left side of your neck. The surgeon will move muscles in your neck and retract the esophagus, arteries and trachea to form a tunnel to the spine.

    Disc Removal

    • A thin needle will be inserted into your spine the find the damaged disc. Once located, the surgeon will insert a spreader into the vertebrae above and below the damaged disc. Slight tension is used to spread and separate the vertebrae.

    Nerve Decompression

    • Bone spurs that sit on your nerve root are removed and the foramen (where the spinal nerve exits) is expanded with a drill. A foraminotomy is performed to give your nerves adequate room to leave the spinal canal.

    Bone Graft Fusion

    • The open disc space is prepared using a drill. If using your own bone, then a skin and muscle incision will be cut over the crest of your hip. The bone graft is shaped and inserted between the vertebrae; metal rods, plates and other hardware may be used to hold the bone graft in place during fusion.

    Close Incision

    • The spreader and retractors are pulled from the affected areas, and incisions are sewn back together using sutures. Biologic glue is rubbed around the incision.

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