What it is
A cervical corpectomy uses the same anterior (front-of-neck) approach as ACDF but removes the vertebral body itself — not just the disc — creating a wider decompressive trough that allows the spinal cord to decompress over a broader area. After corpectomy, a structural cage or strut graft fills the space, and a plate is secured to the vertebrae above and below to provide stability during healing.
When corpectomy is preferred over ACDF
ACDF works by removing the disc at each level. When compression extends behind the vertebral body — from a large central osteophyte, a calcified OPLL, or a tumor — the disc removal alone does not create enough decompression. Corpectomy removes the obstruction entirely.
At two or more levels, corpectomy achieves decompression with fewer bone-graft interfaces than multilevel ACDF (which has a fusion site at every disc level), which can simplify the anterior construct. However, longer anterior corpectomy constructs carry specific fixation challenges — posterior supplemental fixation is often added for two- or three-level corpectomies to improve stability and reduce hardware failure risk.
Reconstruction
The gap left by corpectomy is filled with a structural implant — typically a titanium mesh cage or a fibular allograft strut — which supports the reconstructed column while fusion occurs. A cervical plate anchors the construct. When the corpectomy is long or the patient has poor bone quality, posterior screws and rods are added to create a 360-degree construct.
What to expect
Corpectomy is a larger anterior operation than single-level ACDF, with a somewhat longer recovery. Hospital stay is typically one to two nights for single-level, longer for multilevel cases with posterior supplementation. Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) in the early recovery period is common with anterior cervical surgery and resolves in most patients.