Anterior Cervical Fusion (ACDF)

Anterior Cervical Decompression and Fusion (ACDF) surgery is where the spine surgeon removes disc or bone through an incision in the front of the neck (anterior approach) to relieve pressure on nerve roots from a herniation. During an ACDF surgery the spine surgeon removes the portion of the disc that may be putting pressure on an adjacent nerve root. Bone may be harvested from the hip of the patient (or from a bone bank) that is then inserted between two vertebrae to restore the normal space between the discs. The surgeon may use plates or screws to hold the fusion in place as it heals.

The surgery is performed with the patient under general anesthesia. If the bone was harvested from the patient’s own hip, that may actually provide more discomfort after surgery than the neck surgery itself.