anterior cervical decompression and fusion

anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF),

a surgical procedure to treat cervical disk herniation or degeneration in the spine. A diskectomy is performed on the patient, who is under general anesthesia and supine, with the neck extended by a small shoulder roll placed horizontally. Fusion of a bone graft, either an autograft from the patient's iliac crest or an allograft from a bone bank, preserves the disk space and provides spinal stability. A spinal plate and screws are secured to the vertebral bodies above and below the graft. Patients should be observed postoperatively for dysphagia, hematoma, and recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy.