Posterior cervical foraminotomy is the surgical removal of a herniated disc in the neck through a posterior approach. The surgery is designed to relieve pressure involving a spinal nerve and alleviate corresponding pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling.
The advantage of a posterior cervical foraminotomy is that it avoids a fusion which is typically done when an anterior cervical discectomy is performed to treat the same problem.
Posterior cervical foraminotomy is not the best approach for all cervical disc herniations. However, when patients have lateral dis herniation or foraminal disc herniations, a posterior cervical foraminotomy can be an excellent less invasive choice to relieve symptoms if surgery is required.