wickedwrister 0 Report post Posted January 24, 2007 Not looking good. Might need an Anterior Cervical Discectomy. Anyone had one or know of someone that has. Dr. says hockey would be a once or twice a month thing if I decide to play again. I am seeking a second opinion, but was just wondering if anyone who had one resumed playing hockey regularly again. Thanks in advance.An anterior cervical discectomy is the most common surgical procedure to treat damaged cervical discs. Its goal is to relieve pressure on the nerve roots or on the spinal cord by removing the ruptured disc. It is called anterior because the cervical spine is reached through a small incision in the front of the neck (anterior means front). During the surgery, the soft tissues of the neck are separated and the disc is removed. Sometimes the space between the vertebrae are left open. However, in order to maintain the normal height of the disc space, the surgeon may choose to fill the space with a bone graft.A bone graft is a small piece of bone, either taken from the patient's body (usually from the pelvic area) or from a bone bank. This piece of bone fills the disc space and ideally will join or fuse the vertebrae together. This is called fusion. It usually takes a few months for the vertebrae to completely fuse. In some cases, some instrumentation (such as plates or screws) may also be used to add stability to the spine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Monty22 833 Report post Posted January 25, 2007 Be sure to get at LESAST a second opinion with any proposed surgery for the spine/neck/back. They will tell you there is a chance you could be better, worse, or the same as far as function and pain level. Talk to as many medical professionals as you can. This is serious stuff-educate yourself to make the smartest choice for your health and quality of life. Good luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chadd 916 Report post Posted January 25, 2007 I don't know the exact procedure but Gary Roberts had cervical fusion done back when he was in Calgary and after a couple years he made a comeback. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gman 0 Report post Posted January 25, 2007 In addition to general "second/third/fourth" opinions, seek out a specialist who treats athletes. A generic doc may be of the mind to take the easiest, quickest, and unfortunately cheapest route. And will likely be used to dealing with geriatrics or general couch potatoes. A sports medicine specialist will be used to treating athletes and getting them back on their feet (skates).Good luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
