Anterior cervical discectomy without fusion in cervical disc herniation with radicular complaints

Only cervical disc herniation that provokes root compression unresponsive to conservative treatment should be selected for operation. The operative technique must allow adequate removal of the disc and relieve any root pressure without distressing the patient. Operative decompression of the root can be attained via laminectomy and arthrotomy or by way of an anterior approach. With this second procedure, the ventral discectomy can be done in conjunction with an interbody fusion. We report our experience with 216 patients who unterwent anterior cervical microsurgical discectomy without fusion between 1980 and 1944. All these patients were suffering from compressive cervical radiculopathy caused by disc displacement without significant degenerative deformation of the motion segment and without manifest segmental instability. The follow-up ranged between 6 and 185 months (average 71 months) in the 175 patients in whom it was possible. Only in 7 patients (4 %) is the result unsatisfactory; 79 patients (45 %) are completely free of symptoms 99; (56.6 %) are very satisfied and 45 (25.7 %) satisfied with the result of the procedure.