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Dr Deepashu Sachdeva
Neuro & Spine Surgeon

Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion

Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion

This is a two-way process that begins with the removal of degenerated and deformed disc causing pain. The gap which occurs due to the removal of the deformed disc needs a filler. Spacer bone graft fills the gap and prevents the further wearing and tearing of the vertebrae. Bone graft joins the two vertebrae and over the period form one solid bone. Removal of the degenerated disc can be one or multiple depending on their state of deformity and irregularities. Also, the surgeons can decide the process to be anterior or posterior that primarily depends on the nature of the problem. Former involves reaching the disc by making an incision from the front moving aside the neck muscles, trachea, and esophagus whereas, the latter needs the surgeons to make precision in a way that they do not disturb spinal cord and spinal nerves. Selecting the Bone graft for Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion is again the decision of surgeons as they do so keeping, in mind, nature of the problem and health aspects of their patient. They may prefer to take bone cells from the hip of the patient autograft bone or choose allograft bone. It is a bone graft that is in the bone bank that collects and preserves the organs of the people who are dead and have agreed to donate their organs. Another option comes in the form of bone graft substitutes made from plastics, ceramic, or bioresorbable compounds. The Allograft and Bone graft substitutes need the filling of shaved living bone tissues taken from the spine of the patient at the time of surgery. It is so because the former bone grafts are dead and have no protein and bone growing cells, whereas autograft bone is rich in protein and has living bone tissues. The only disadvantage of the latter is the patient has to bear the pain of hip surgery as well.