About Anterior Cervical Fusion

Cervical fusion is a surgical procedure performed anteriorly or posteriorly to join at least two of the vertebrae of the neck. This surgery is performed to alleviate pain in patients with disorders of the cervical spine, such as stenosis and degenerative disc disease.
For many conditions, anterior spinal fusion is an excellent option and can result in dramatic improvement in pain symptoms and quality of life. Surgery is not necessary in every case. No one type of surgery works for every neck pain problem. Numerous surgical procedures have been designed to treat each type of neck pain.

REASONS FOR CERVICAL FUSION SPINE SURGERY

Cervical fusion is performed to stop painful movement in the targeted area. It is often performed in conjunction with a cervical discectomy to relieve compression of spinal nerves. PATIENTS MAY REQUIRE A CERVICAL FUSION for various reasons, including:

• Cervical spine trauma
• Cervical disc prolapse
• Infections of cervical spine
• Reconstruction and fusion after cervical tumor excision.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A SPINAL FUSION?

• Lessen pain in the neck area.
• Ability to be more active and have a better quality of life.
• Improve your physical fitness.
• Able to return to work or other activities.

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM ANTERIOR CERVICAL FUSION?

Candidates for fusion surgery usually have some combination of the following symptoms:

• Neck pain.
• Pain between the shoulder blades.
• Severe Radiating pain in the arm or weakness.
• Changes in gait.
• Difficulty and loss of balance in walking.

ANTERIOR CERVICAL FUSION

Cervical radiculopathy is a spine disorder in which your cervical (upper) vertebrae nerves get compressed. During this condition, you may have extreme pain and numbness in your neck, arms, chest, and shoulders.
Cervical radiculopathy mostly occurs due to a ruptured disc, arthritis, or other degenerative condition or injury to the cervical (upper) vertebrae. It occurs mainly in upper age groups affecting their ability to hold objects with hands..
In instances, when cervical radiculopathy cannot be cured with nonsurgical treatment options such as anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy, then Anterior Cervical Fusion will be your only option left to relieve severe pain..
Anterior Cervical Fusion involves the decompression of nerve roots travelling from the spine to the neck, arms, chest, and shoulders. It creates space and eliminates motion in the damaged portions of the neck

CANDIDATES FOR ANTERIOR CERVICAL FUSION

This procedure is commonly done for patients with cervical disc prolapse. But it is also done for conditions like trauma to the neck, After tumor excision and other conditions.

PATIENT ASSESSMENT:

As a part of the assessment, Dr Abhinav Srivastava will discuss the procedure in detail and explain about the techniques employed for the procedure. However, the treatment approach followed will depend on your diagnosis, medical history, and earlier treatments. He may also ask for blood tests, X-rays or other imaging studies, and other special tests for diabetes and cardiac disease.
Typically listening to the history and pattern of the pain allows the physician to determine where the problem is. After physical examination and radiographic studies (MRI, CT, myelogram with CT, and/or plain films), the area of concern is usually identified.
If you have any questions or concerns about your recovery from anterior cervical fusion surgery. For more information, please visit

SURGICAL PROCEDURE

You will be given general anaesthesia, with the gauges, monitors and equipment attached to your body. These equipment are used to monitor your vital parameters at every stage of the procedure. The level will be identified with the help of a image intensifier and small incision will be placed over the affected area .
Surgeon reach the intervertebral disc by gently dissecting and retracting the muscles and reach the area of interest. He will then use a microscope to gently decompress the nerves and the damaged disc portion will be removed .
The osteophytes which compress the nerves also will be removed .The spinal cord and nerve roots are thoroughly decompressed. This space is created between the upper and lower vertebral bodies, which is restored using extra bone grafts or spacers. Then Dr Abhinav Srivastava fixes the anterior portion of the spine with a cervical plate.

POST OPERATIVE CARE:

• Consider regular appointments
• Keep your incision dry and clean
• Start physical therapy and regular exercises
• Avoid lifting heavy objects
• Avoid smoking and chewing tobacco
• Don’t drive until your surgeon gives a clearance
• Consider a healthy and nutritious diet
• Take all the prescribed medications regularly
• Wear the cervical brace until the wound gets healed completely

RECOVERY FROM CERVICAL FUSION

In skilled hands, this is a very safe procedure. In the end, after recovering from anterior cervical fusion surgery, most patients report significant improvements and a decrease in pain. In general, the sooner a patient seeks treatment for his or her pain, the better the chances of a successful recovery from anterior cervical fusion surgery.
Patients who undergo anterior cervical surgery can often return to light activities within a few weeks, but this can vary depending on the individual patient, number of levels treated, and other factors. Recovery will include rest, physical therapy, and a short course of pain management medication.