Cervical Disc Replacement Surgery: Are you are a candidate for The 5-Hour Disc Replacement?
Cervical disc replacement surgery involves removing a ruptured or herniated disc and implanting an artificial disc replacement device to preserve motion and stabilize the spine. As with an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), traditionally the most common surgical treatment for a cervical disc herniation, disc replacement surgery begins with a cervical discectomy. The surgeon makes a small in incision in the patient’s neck and removes the herniated disc.
The difference between an ACDF and cervical disc replacement involves what happens next, how the spine is stabilized. In an ACDF, the surgeon inserts a plate and screw system and then fuses the bones together to provide stability to the spine. During cervical disc replacement surgery, a modification of the ACDF, a motion sparing device is implanted rather than fusing the bones together.
Which is better, cervical discectomy with disc replacement or fusion? Dr. Seth Neubardt, a leading spine surgeon in New York specializing in the treatment of cervical herniated discs, says recent reports indicate cervical disc replacement may provide a slight benefit over fusion, but further studies are needed.
What is The 5-Hour Disc Replacement?
Dr. Neubardt and Dr. Jack Stern have been doing cervical disc replacement surgery together as the Neuro-Ortho team for over 22 years. They have perfected every aspect of the procedure and have developed The 5-Hour Disc Replacement as a safe alternative to invasive surgery with mandatory over-night hospital stays. In the video above, learn about this state-of-the-art minimally invasive cervical disc replacement procedure which allows you to be heading home in less than 5 hours.
The Three Stages of Cervical Disc Replacement Surgery
The 5 Hour Disc Replacement surgery is divided into three stages: pre-op, surgery and recovery. During the pre-op stage, which lasts about 30 minutes, you will meet the staff at the hospital or facility where your surgery is performed. The staff will go over the procedure with you and make sure all of your lab and other pre-operative studies are in order. You will sign the consent form for the surgery and meet your surgeon, who can answer any questions you have. You will also meet the anesthesiologist, who will ask questions and explain the anesthesia process. If you have had problems with anesthesia in the past, this is a good time to mention it.
After pre-op, you will be taken from the holding area to the area where your cervical disc replacement surgery is performed. Stage 2, the surgical procedure, lasts about 2.5 hours in total from the time you arrive in the surgical area. Watch the video above to learn more about how this time is spent, in addition to what happens in the third and final stage.
The final stage is the recovery phase, which takes about another two hours. The actual time may vary, but on the average the cervical disc replacement surgery is complete and you are ready to head home in about 5 hours, which is why we call it the 5 Hour Disc Replacement surgery.