CINCINNATI (WKRC) — A new surgical procedure is providing hope for those suffering from chronic neck pain. The anterior cervical discectomy fusion (ACDF) is a breakthrough operation that promises lasting relief, according to Dr. William McClellan, a spine surgeon at OrthoCincy in Kentucky.
“So essentially what we are doing is we are removing the disc in front of the neck to get the pressure off the spinal cord, to get the pressure off the arms,” said Dr. McClellan.
The procedure involves making a small incision at the front of the neck to access the problematic disc. “You can’t go from the back to get to the disc because the spinal cord is in the way,” explained Dr. McClellan. Using X-ray guidance, the surgeon identifies the disc to be removed, then magnifies the area to gently extract the damaged disc and replace it with an artificial one. This artificial disc is secured in place with hardware, completing the outpatient procedure in less than an hour.
“And generally people do very well,” said Dr. McClellan. However, as with any surgery, there are risks, including nerve damage and, rarely, infection. Despite these risks, the National Institutes of Health reports that the procedure is 95 percent effective at significantly reducing pain.
