Cervical Discectomy - By Randall F. Dryer, MD
Dr. Randall F. Dryer is an established and highly skilled orthopedic spine surgeon with over thirty-three years of experience in orthopedic spine care. In addition to serving in the U.S. Air Force, he followed his passion for medicine and graduated from the University of Iowa. He then obtained his medical degree from the... more
If a vertebral disc in your neck becomes herniated or diseased, you may experience intense pain that radiates from your neck down to your arms. This type of pain can make it very difficult to carry out everyday tasks. This is why Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Randall F. Dryer, performs this procedure, which is known as a cervical discectomy. Dr. Dryer is specialized in treating this condition and wants his patients to have quality of life.
Vertebral discs act as flexible spacers between the vertebrae throughout the spine, this allows for cushion and movement. Although if the outer wall of a disc ruptures, the pressure that discs normally help to mitigate can cause its inner material to extend outward. This is known as a vertebral rupture and can be very painful for the patient.
If this protrusion presses against one of the nerve roots present at each vertebrae, it may cause pain locally as well as the areas connected by the nerve root. When it comes to a herniated disc in the neck, arm pain is common among patients.
To ease pain, the damaged disc is removed through a small incision in the front of the neck. To fill the gap left, a bone graft is placed, the upper and lower vertebrae will fuse together. Artificial discs can also be implanted to help preserve the natural motion of your neck.
Cervical discectomy is only one of the solutions available to the orthopedic surgeons at Central Texas Spine Institute. You can discover other options as well.
