The cushions that lay between the cervical vertebrae are known as the cervical discs. They work as shock absorbers, allowing you to move your neck freely.

Parts of your vertebrae or your cervical disc can press on your spinal cord or spinal nerves when the space between your vertebrae gets too narrow, producing discomfort, numbness, or weakness.

When nonsurgical treatments fail to relieve these symptoms, disc surgery may be indicated. A damaged cervical disc is removed and replaced with an artificial disc during cervical disc replacement surgery.

Loss of space between your cervical vertebrae from cervical disk degeneration, or wear and tear, is common.

Cervical disks begin to collapse and bulge with age; this happens to most people by age 60.

Symptoms are:

• Neck pain
• Neck stiffness
• Headache
• Pain that travels down into your shoulders or into your arms
• Weakness of your shoulders, arms, hands, or legs

In this procedure, the doctor will place a monitor to check your heart, blood pressure, and oxygen level.

To clean the area of incision, special solution will be used to kill the germs. A one-two inch incision is made on the side or front of your neck.

The important structures of the neck are carefully moved to the side until Dr Vamshi can see the bones of the vertebrae and the cervical disk.

The cervical disk that is being replaced is removed carefully and the artificial disc is secured into the empty disk space.

In last, the incision is closed using absorbable stitches under the skin. A small dressing is applied over the incision and a rigid or soft neck collar may be put on your neck to restrict motion.