← Return to Has anyone had the ACDF surgery on their neck?

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@dlydailyhope

@chcruzin
Yes, ACDF surgery is done entering the front (anterior) of your neck and removes damaged discs and replaces it with a “cement” made using some of your own bone (if you have bone spurs removed) to fuse your vertebrae together. A titanium cage is used around the level of the ACDF surgery to provide additional support. The more levels you have fused, the more restriction of neck movement. I had only one level done (C5C6) and my movement is not that restricted. Movement in your neck is good when you don’t have pain. Too much movement due to slipped discs/vertebrae where spinal cord and nerve roots causes further injury and pain so you need to make a decision on whether movement with pain is more important to you than some restricted movement and less pain/injury.

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Replies to "@chcruzin Yes, ACDF surgery is done entering the front (anterior) of your neck and removes damaged..."

Thanks for all of the information. I am going through PT for my neck pain and diagnostic injections to find the location that’s causing shock like pain when I turn my head a certain way. The worst pain is on my left, the worst damage in MRI shows on the right. Once diagnostic tests are completed they will do an ablation.
If I end up having a fusion, it’s good to know the results can be less pain with movement still possible .

You're right. I'll have to deal with this as soon as I see the U of M in August