Also called cervical disc arthroplasty or artificial disc replacement. Instead of fusing two vertebrae together, the worn disc is removed and replaced with a device that keeps the segment moving — for patients whose anatomy makes them a genuine candidate.
Cervical artificial disc
Suggested: lateral view of the cervical spine with an artificial disc implanted at a single level, ideally paired with a flexion/extension view showing preserved motion.
For decades the standard operation for a worn or herniated cervical disc pressing on a nerve has been ACDF — remove the disc, decompress the nerve, and fuse the two vertebrae together. It is a highly reliable operation with an excellent long-term track record, it remains the right answer for the majority of patients, and it is the operation Dr. Zaidi performs most often in the neck.
Disc replacement addresses the same nerve compression through the same front-of-the-neck approach, but ends differently: instead of fusing the level, an implant is placed that allows the segment to keep bending and rotating. The decompression — the part that actually relieves the arm pain — is identical in both operations.
The case for preserving motion is intuitive, and it is worth being precise about what is and is not established. In the lumbar spine, breakdown at the levels next to a fusion is well documented. In the cervical spine it is less settled: degenerative change does show up at adjacent levels after ACDF, but it also shows up in necks that were never operated on, and the evidence has not cleanly separated the effect of the fusion from the natural history of a spine that was already degenerating. Disc replacement is chosen when the anatomy suits it.
Neither is universally better. The question is which one your particular neck can support.
Long-term FDA investigational device trials following patients out to seven and ten years have reported outcomes for cervical disc replacement at least equivalent to ACDF. Both are well-established operations with high patient satisfaction, and ACDF is by some margin the more broadly applicable of the two — most necks that need an operation are better served by it. These are averaged results in carefully selected trial patients and not a prediction for any individual case.
This is the part that matters most, and the part most worth asking any surgeon about directly. An artificial disc placed in a segment that cannot support it will not behave like one.
A small transverse incision in a natural skin crease at the front of the neck. The approach passes between tissue planes to reach the front of the spine — no muscle is cut.
The damaged disc is removed and the nerve root or spinal cord is decompressed. This is the step that relieves arm pain, and it is the same whether the level is then fused or replaced.
The endplates are prepared precisely and kept parallel. Disc replacement is less forgiving than fusion here — implant sizing and placement determine how the segment moves afterwards.
The device is positioned under live imaging, centred in both planes and seated to the correct depth.
Final imaging confirms position and restored disc height. Most patients go home the same day or after one night, usually without a collar.
Live fluoroscopy and, where indicated, O-Arm CT confirm midline placement and implant depth — both of which govern how the device articulates.
Cuts bone while being markedly less aggressive toward soft tissue than a high-speed burr, which matters working millimetres from the cord.
Several cervical disc devices are approved for one- and two-level use. Selection depends on your anatomy, disc height, and the motion profile of the device.
General ranges from the surgical literature, not guarantees. Risks specific to the anterior cervical approach include temporary difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, and — less commonly — injury to the esophagus, vertebral artery, or nerve. Risks particular to arthroplasty include implant migration or subsidence and heterotopic ossification, where bone forms around the device and gradually reduces the motion it was placed to preserve. Nerve symptoms present for a long time before surgery may not fully resolve. Your specific risks are a consultation conversation.
I had a bulging disc in my neck. He got me in quickly for an MRI and suggested surgery. Same-day surgery went well. Very little scarring and hardly any after surgery pain or discomfort.Perry M. · Google review
After my surgery for a pinched nerve I could barely believe it. The pain was gone and no more tingling in my hands.Sandi M. · Google review
He's been very knowledgeable, has presented my options clearly, and has been supportive of conservative care.Chris C. · Google review
Verbatim from public Google reviews, shown with first name and last initial. These describe Dr. Zaidi's cervical care generally rather than disc replacement specifically. More patient reviews →