Most episodes of arm pain due to a cervical herniated disc will resolve over a period of weeks to a few months. However, if the pain lasts longer than 6 to 12 weeks, or if the pain and disability is severe, spine surgery may be a reasonable option.

Spine surgery for a cervical herniated disc is generally very reliable and can be done with a minimal amount of postoperative pain and morbidity (unwanted after effects).

With an experienced spine surgeon, the neck surgery should carry a low risk of failure or complications. The success rate of surgery for a cervical herniated disc is about 95 to 98% in terms of providing relief of arm pain.

  • Posterior cervical foraminotomy and Microdiscectomy  is an alternative procedure to anterior discectomy and fusion or total disc replacement.  This procedure is similar to a posterior (from the back) lumbar discectomy, and is best used for discs that herniate laterally, out in the neural foramen (the “tunnel” that the nerve travels through to exit the spinal canal) or where there is stenosis (narrowing) of the neural foramen.

Click here to watch: Posterior Cervical Discectomy Video

Although any major surgery has possible risks and complications, with an experienced spine surgeon serious complications from cervical disc surgery should be rare.

Possible complications from spine surgery for a herniated disc include:

  • Damage to either the trachea/esophagus or one of the major blood vessels in the anterior spine (front of the neck). This should happen in less than 1 in 1,000 cases.
  • In about 4 – 25% of cases, retraction on the nerve to the voice box (recurrent laryngeal nerve) can cause hoarseness. The hoarseness usually resolves in the majority of cases over a two to three month period.
  • Fusion rates run about 95%. Occasionally, there may be a postoperative nonunion that requires a re-fusion. Without a cervical plate there is a possibility (less than 1%) that the anterior bone graft will displace.
  • With either the anterior or posterior approach there is a 1 in 10,000 chance that there would be either nerve root or spinal cord damage.
  • Infection or cerebrospinal fluid leak happens less than 1% of the time.

Postoperative Care Following Spine Surgery for a Cervical Herniated Disc

This type of surgery usually can be done either outpatient (going home the same day as surgery) or with one overnight stay in the hospital.

The pain in the arm usually goes away fairly quickly, although it may take weeks to months for the arm weakness and numbness to subside. It is not uncommon to have some neck pain and muscle spasm for a while.

Postoperatively, most spine surgeons prescribe a neck brace, although the type of brace and length of usage is variable. Also, most spine surgeons will ask their patients to limit their activities postoperatively, although the amount of restrictions and the length of time tend to vary. Ask your spine surgeon before the surgery what his or her usual protocol is regarding postoperative care.