🩻 ACDF (Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion)
🔹 What It Is
. ACDF is a neck (cervical spine) surgery where a damaged or herniated disc in the cervical spine is removed (discectomy) through the front of the neck (anterior approach), and then the empty disc space is fused using bone graft and sometimes a plate with screws.

. It’s one of the most common spine surgeries performed for cervical radiculopathy (pinched nerve) or myelopathy (spinal cord compression).

🔹 Why It’s Done
. Herniated cervical disc causing severe neck pain, arm pain, tingling, numbness.
. Cervical spondylosis (arthritis/degeneration) with nerve or spinal cord compression.
. Cervical spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal).
. Instability in the cervical spine.
. Failed conservative treatments (physiotherapy, medicines, injections).

🔹 Procedure Steps
. Small incision in the front of the neck.
. Surgeon moves aside muscles, trachea, and esophagus to reach the spine.
. Disc is removed (discectomy).
. A bone graft or cage is placed in the empty disc space.
. Sometimes a metal plate with screws is used for stability.
. Over time, the bone graft fuses the two vertebrae into one solid bone.

🔹 Benefits
✅ Relieves neck pain and arm pain (radiculopathy).
✅ Improves numbness and weakness.
✅ Prevents worsening of spinal cord compression (myelopathy).
✅ High success rate (~85–95%).

🔹 Risks
⚠️ Infection.
⚠️ Injury to nerves, spinal cord, esophagus, or vocal cords.
⚠️ Swallowing difficulty (temporary, common).
⚠️ Hoarseness of voice.
⚠️ Non-fusion (pseudoarthrosis).
⚠️ Adjacent segment disease (stress on discs above/below fused level).

🔹 Recovery Timeline
. Hospital stay: 1–2 days.
. Return to desk work: 2–4 weeks.
. Driving: ~2–3 weeks if pain-free.
. Full fusion: 3–6 months (sometimes up to 12 months).
. Heavy activity/sports: after 3–6 months depending on healing.