Anterior Cervical Fusion with Diskectomy
Over time areas in your spine can degenerate due to heredity, over use, injury, and arthritis. Symptoms are weakness, numbness, and pain that interrupts your daily activities. Your vertebrae usually move separately and are cushioned by disks. Degeneration is when the vertebrae are moving too much and are squeezing nerves. A fusion locks together two or more vertebrae. Bone grafts are used as the glue and can come from either your own body (pelvic bone) or cadaver bones from a bone bank. Fusion approach can be from the front (anterior) or back (posterior). Recovery time is approximately 12 weeks.

OPA Physicians who perform this surgery include:
Justin L. Esterberg, M.D.
Alexis Falicov, M.D.
Jeff L. Garr, M.D.

Kyphoplasty
Kyphoplasty is a new, minimally invasive procedure used to treat osteoporotic compression fractures of the spine. These fractures are very common in patients with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis causes weakening of the bones which leads to fractures that occur without an apparent injury. The bones collapse into a wedge shape and can lead to a round back or hunched posture. A balloon is inflated, creating a space, and then removed. The space is filled with a special bone cement that repairs the fracture. Recovery time is usually 3 weeks.

OPA Physicians who perform this surgery include:
Justin L. Esterberg, M.D.
Alexis Falicov, M.D.
Jeff L. Garr, M.D.