Cervical Herniated Disc: Surgical Treatment

	Rick C. Sasso, MD Orthopaedic Surgeon and President Indiana Spine Group Indianapolis, IN, USA
	Vincent Traynelis, MD Professor of Neurosurgery University of Iowa Iowa City, IA, USA

Spanish / Español

Cervical Herniated Disc Treatment – Surgical
Spine surgery is considered if non-surgical treatment does not relieve symptoms or if spinal cord compression is suspected. If surgery is recommended, always ask the purpose of the operation and what results you can expect. Never be afraid to obtain a second opinion.

To relieve nerve pressure and neck pain, surgery usually involves a partial disc removal or discectomy. This surgery is usually done from the front of the neck (called an anterior discectomy). In addition, the surgeon may need to access the problem disc by removing a portion of the bone covering the nerve. This procedure is called a laminotomy and is usually done from the back of the neck (posterior laminotomy).

Fortunately, these procedures can often be done utilizing minimally invasive spine surgery techniques. Minimally invasive spine surgery does not require large incisions, but instead uses smaller cuts and tiny specialized instruments and devices such as a microscope and endoscope during the operation.

Prevention
Aging is inevitable, but lifestyle changes can help prevent cervical disc disease. Risk factors include poor posture and body mechanics, weak neck muscles, smoking and obesity. Start now to adopt habits that will help preserve your spine for the future.

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Article written 08/05/2001
Published online 08/05/2001
Last updated 05/18/2007

Doctors Sasso and Traynelis describe the basic anatomy and natural history of cervical degenerative spine disease. This is an excellent article that emphasizes the role of lifestyle in the degenerative cascade and overall high success rates with conservative therapy. They are to be commended on synthesizing a very informative, succinct article that covers a very broad topic about a common problem.

Mark R. McLaughlin, MD

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