Anterior Cervical Corpectomy & Fusion



What Is An Anterior Cervical Corpectomy And Fusion?



Why Do I Need This Procedure?




Discectomy Patient

How Is A Cervical Corpectomy Performed?

Through an incision either to the right or left of the midline of your neck, your surgeon will:

  • Gently retract the muscles and tissues of the neck to expose the anterior vertebral column.
  • Remove a portion of the vertebral body(ies) and intervertebral disc(s) to access the compressed neural structures
  • Relieve the pressure by removing the source of the compression
  • Place a bone graft or bone graft substitute between the adjacent vertebrae at the decompression site
  • Attach instrumentation, such as plating and screws, along the treated vertebra(e) to provide extra support and stability while fusion and healing occurs.


How Long Will It Take Me To Recover?

Your surgeon will have a specific postoperative recovery plan to help you return to your normal activity level as soon as possible. Following an anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion, you may notice an immediate improvement of some or all of your symptoms; other symptoms may improve more gradually. The amount of time that you have to stay in the hospital will depend on your treatment plan. How quickly you return to work and your normal activities will depend on how well your body heals and the type of work/activity level you plan to return to.


To determine whether you are a candidate for an anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion, please talk to your doctor.

Are There Any Potential Risks Or Complications?

All treatment and outcome results are specific to the individual patient. Results may vary. Complications such as infection, nerve damage, blood clots, and blood loss, along with complications associated with anesthesia, are some of the potential risks of spinal surgery. A potential risk inherent to spinal fusion is failure of the vertebral bone and graft to properly fuse, a condition that may require additional surgery.

Please consult your physician for a complete list of indications, warnings, precautions, adverse effects, clinical results and other important medical information that pertains to the anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion procedure.
