Neurosurgeon
Neurosurgeon
Treatment / Procedures / ACDF
The most commonly performed cervical spine procedure. Removes a damaged disc, decompresses the nerve, and fuses the adjacent vertebrae through a small incision in the front of the neck. Niceville, Florida.
The most commonly performed cervical spine procedure. Removes a damaged disc, decompresses the nerve, and fuses the adjacent vertebrae through a small incision in the front of the neck. Niceville, Florida.
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion — ACDF — is the most commonly performed cervical spine surgical procedure in the United States. It is performed through a small transverse incision in the front of the neck, providing direct access to the cervical disc space without disturbing the muscles at the back of the neck.
The damaged disc is completely removed, decompressing the nerve root or spinal cord that was being compressed. An interbody cage packed with bone graft is placed in the disc space to restore height and provide a scaffold for fusion. A small anterior plate is secured to the vertebrae above and below to stabilize the area while fusion occurs over the following three to six months.
ACDF is used for cervical disc herniation causing arm pain or weakness, cervical stenosis causing spinal cord compression, and cervical degenerative disc disease causing neck and arm pain that has not responded to conservative treatment. Dr. Enguidanos performs ACDF at HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital and Emerald Coast Surgical Center in Niceville, Florida, serving patients throughout the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi, the Gulf Coast, and internationally.
Most cervical conditions are first treated without surgery. Dr. Enguidanos recommends ACDF only after appropriate conservative care has been tried and has not resolved your symptoms, or when there is spinal cord compression or progressive weakness that requires more timely treatment.
Conservative care for cervical conditions includes physical therapy, activity modification, anti-inflammatory medication, and cervical epidural steroid injections. Many patients improve with these measures and never require surgery. When symptoms persist despite conservative care, or when imaging shows cord compression, ACDF becomes the appropriate next step.
ACDF is performed through a small transverse incision in the front of the neck, using the natural tissue planes to reach the spine without cutting muscle. Working under the microscope, Dr. Enguidanos removes the damaged disc completely, then removes any bone spurs or disc fragments pressing on the nerve root or spinal cord until the neural structures are fully decompressed.
An interbody cage packed with bone graft is placed into the cleared disc space to restore the normal height between the vertebrae and provide a scaffold for fusion. A low-profile titanium plate is then secured across the treated level with small screws, providing immediate stability while the bone fuses over the following months. Most single-level patients go home the same day or the next morning.
ACDF is one of several approaches to cervical spine disease. The right procedure depends on your anatomy, the number of levels involved, and your goals. Dr. Enguidanos evaluates every patient individually.
An artificial disc that decompresses the nerve while preserving motion at the treated level, reducing stress on adjacent discs compared to fusion.
Used for multilevel disease, cervical deformity, or cases requiring decompression and stabilization from the back of the neck.
Enlarges the opening where a single nerve root exits, relieving compression without removing the disc or fusing the level.
Every patient who walks through our door follows the same path. It starts with listening and ends only at surgery if nothing else works.
Dr. Enguidanos meets with you personally. He reviews your imaging, takes your full history, and listens carefully to your lifestyle, your goals, and what has and has not worked so far.
In-person with Dr. EnguidanosSurgery is never the first answer. Before any procedure is considered, every appropriate non-surgical option is explored — physical therapy, medication management, injections, and regenerative medicine.
Physical therapy, injections, regenerative medicineWhen conservative care has been exhausted and surgery is the right answer, Dr. Enguidanos applies thirty years of surgical depth. From minimally invasive procedures to complex deformity reconstruction, every level is handled.
Only when everything else has been consideredDR. STEPHEN T. ENGUIDANOS MD | SPINE SURGERY | NICEVILLE, FL
Your information is private and will never be shared.
DR. STEPHEN T. ENGUIDANOS MD | SPINE SURGERY | NICEVILLE, FL
Your information is private and will never be shared.