On Monday, November 7, 2016, board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Nasser Ani performed a minimally invasive anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery on a 56-year-old female patient who was experiencing severe arm pain and numbness. The surgery took place at the Metropolitan Surgical Institute, an outpatient surgical center in South Amboy, New Jersey.
The patient was suffering from cervical radiculopathy, with symptoms of radiating arm pain, as a result of a severe disc herniation causing compression of the spinal nerve roots at levels C5-6 and C6-7. After failed conservative treatment including physical therapy and spine epidural injections, the patient elected to have a two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.
Dr. Ani utilized a minimally invasive surgery to address the patient’s cervical radiculopathy and disc herniation. He chose an anterior surgical approach to gain exposure to the cervical spine through a small transverse incision in the neck. Dr. Ani was able to remove the herniated discs, and free the compressed and pinched nerves.
A lateral fluoro of Arena-C HA, successfully implanted. (Credit: PR Web).
After the discectomy, Dr. Ani inserted SpineFrontier’s biocompatible LES ARENA-C (HA) cervical cages to restore natural disc height between the vertebral bodies using the Less Exposure Surgery (LES) technique and placed a low-profile, two-level LES INVUE MAX cervical plate on the operative levels to provide stability until fusion takes place.
Dr. Ani commented on the case: “The LES INVUE plate, when paired with the LES ARENA-C (HA) interbody, was one of the safest, most efficient ways to stabilize this patient’s spine. The instruments and procedural steps are easy. The hydroxyapatite (HA) infused LES ARENA-C spacer, together with a cancellous bone sponge and the patient’s own stem cells will result in an excellent fusion.”
Dr. Ani stated that “minimally invasive surgery enables patients to return home just hours after surgery with little to no pain. This patient will be able to return to work in two to three weeks.”
Dr. Nasser Ani is a board-certified orthopedic and spine surgeon at Ani Medical Group, Orthopedic and
Spine Institute of New Jersey and deals with all aspects of spinal disorders, deformities and scoliosis. Initially, patients are treated in a conservative fashion in an effort to provide pain relief and help them return to functional status. However, in some cases, when conservative treatments fails, surgical options are discussed as a means to return patients back to their normal daily living activities.
Dr. Ani is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Bayshore Community Hospital, Riverview Medical Center, Raritan Bay Medical Center, and Monmouth Medical Center. He is also the Chief of Orthopedics at Bayshore Community Hospital. He received his medical degree from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. He completed an orthopedic surgery and spine fellowship at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Dr. Ani has been in practice for over 25 years, double boarded in the fields of orthopedics and spinal surgery, and holds several professional affiliations including the North American Spine Society, Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedics Surgeons, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, and the American Medical Association, just to name a few.
