Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion is the surgical removal of a herniated disc, then sealing of the surrounding bones. The surgery is designed to relieve spinal cord or nerve root pressure and alleviate corresponding pain, weakness, numbness and tingling.
Fusion surgery is almost always done at the same time as the discectomy in order to stabilize the cervical segment.
While this surgery is most commonly done to treat a symptomatic cervical herniated disc, it may also be done for cervical degenerative disc disease. It may also be done for more than one level of the cervical spine.