Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF), with Cage

OVERVIEW

This surgery replaces a damaged vertebral disc in your neck with a cage containing a bone graft. It’s done to relieve painful pressure on spinal nerves.

PREPARATION

To begin, you lie on your back and are put to sleep. The surgeon makes a small incision in the front of your neck. Muscles and other tissues in your neck are carefully moved aside to make a path to your spine. The surgeon carefully removes the damaged disc. This leaves a space between the vertebrae.

CAGE INSERTED

The surgeon then inserts a cage into this space. It is packed with a graft material that can be made from bone or a synthetic bone substitute. The cage fills the open space. It holds the vertebrae in the proper position.

END OF PROCEDURE

When the procedure is complete, the incision is closed. As your spine heals, new bone will grow. The cage becomes permanently attached to the vertebrae. This is called a “fusion.”