Assessment of Anterior Cervical Discectomy

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate anterior cervical discectomy. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on 43 patients underwent surgery through standard Smith-Robison Technique with fusion. Postoperative follow-up period was 24 months. Clinical assessment was done through Odom criteria, Neck disability index and VAS for neck pain. Results: According to Odom criteria, patients after surgery had more than 80% acceptable satisfaction. Based on Neck disability index and VAS, patients had significantly improved. Before surgery, none of the participating patients had lack of disability or mild disability. The most common indicator in these patients was severe disability which was observed in 34 cases (79.1%). After surgery, no one had complete disability while mild disability was the most common indicator among 20 patients (46.5%). The successful fusion rate was 95%. The most common symptom was neck pain and sensory disorder was the most prevalent sign. The most common level involved was C5-6. Medium-term of medical treatment was 4.5 months. The main causes of surgery were motor defect and neck pain. Conclusion: Due to the possibility of complete discectomy and complete removal of compression, anterior surgery approach is preferred over posterior one.