A discectomy goes through the disc. A corpectomy removes the bone between discs so the surgeon can see and decompress the cord across a wider field, then reconstruct the missing column.
Dr. Li performs cervical corpectomy for tumor and for selected degenerative and traumatic cases. The reconstruction is planned so the neck is stable enough for the next step of oncology or rehabilitation.
What to expect
- Anterior neck incision; hospital stay is longer than a single-level ACDF.
- A rigid collar or occasionally a halo is used depending on bone quality and the number of levels.
Recovery
- Healing of the strut into the adjacent vertebrae is the rate-limiting step.
- Oncology patients are coordinated with radiation and medical oncology so reconstruction and systemic care do not compete.
