This surgery creates more space for a compressed spinal nerve in your neck. The procedure relieves painful pressure caused by a herniated or degenerative disc.
A posterior cervical foraminotomy is a minimally-invasive procedure designed to enlarge to space through which the nerve root exits from the spinal cord (the so-called neural foramen) and at the same time try to remove any piece of disc which is pushing on the nerve. Interestingly, sometimes the foraminotomy alone can alleviate symptoms without a discectomy being needed. The whole disc is not removed, just the fragment pressing the nerve root.
Posterior cervical spine surgery has recently benefited from advancements in minimally invasive approaches and the surgery itself uses minimally invasive techniques which are generally well tolerated. Typically, this type of surgery is done on an out patient basis (i.e. the patient can return home the same day) and usually, rapid return to work is possible, but you should schedule a consultation with one of our specialists to discuss the treatment options.
