A surgical procedure to remove vertebral bones as well as discs in the neck area of the spine, cervical corpectomy is commonly used to relieve pain caused by stresses and compressions on the spinal cord that are impacting nerves and leading to weakness and changes in sensation in the shoulders, arms and hands and, potentially, a loss of balance. Cervical corpectomy is typically used only in patients for whom more traditional treatments have proven ineffective.
A cervical corpectomy begins with a surgeon accessing the area from the front of the neck. The damaged vertebra is then removed, alleviating the pressure being exerted on the nerves in and around the spinal column and spinal cord.