Cervical procedure · Princeton, Texas
Cervical Disc Replacement in Princeton, Texas
An artificial cervical disc that keeps the level moving after the damaged disc comes out — offered to Princeton patients when the anatomy genuinely suits it.
Cervical disc replacement in Princeton
For Princeton patients whose neck problem comes down to one or two worn discs, the question is often not whether to operate but what the level should do afterward. Cervical disc replacement answers by preserving motion: the diseased disc is removed and an artificial disc takes its place, continuing to move instead of locking the segment. Princeton patients explore that option with Dr. Jihoon Choi at the North Garland clinic, roughly 35 minutes down the US-380 corridor.
Candidacy is the whole conversation. Replacement rewards the right anatomy and punishes the wrong choice, so the evaluation is deliberately strict — alignment on imaging, the condition of the facet joints, bone quality, and exactly which levels are diseased. Princeton patients get a candid answer: if your neck fits the profile, replacement is a sound operation; if it does not, you will hear why fusion is the safer recommendation.
Clinic address
7217 Telecom PkwySuite 325
Garland, TX 75044
Office hours: Mon–Fri · 8:00am–5:00pm
From Princeton, the drive runs about 35 minutes — west on US-380 to US-75, south to the President George Bush Turnpike, then east to Telecom Parkway.
Book a visit
Call (972) 817-7450 to schedule an initial consultation or a second opinion at the North Garland clinic.
Request consultationOther clinics: Rockwall · Forney · Greenville
About cervical disc replacement
The operation shares its opening steps with ACDF. Through a small front-of-neck incision, the damaged disc is removed entirely, freeing the nerve root and spinal cord behind it. Where fusion would then fill the space with graft, replacement instead seats a prosthetic disc sized to your anatomy, designed to preserve the segment's natural arc of movement while maintaining disc height and alignment.
Keeping motion is not a novelty feature. A fused level transfers its share of movement to the levels above and below, which then work harder. An artificial disc aims to spare neighboring levels that extra burden, and it avoids the months of waiting for bone to fuse. In exchange, it demands healthy facet joints, good alignment, and stable bone — conditions checked carefully on your imaging before it is offered for a cervical disc herniation or degenerated disc.
Treatment options
Replacement, like fusion, is a second step rather than a first response. Therapy, medication when appropriate, and time come first for most disc problems; injections are performed by interventional pain specialists, and when one makes sense, you may be referred as part of a comprehensive care plan. Surgery is weighed when arm pain persists despite that care, when weakness develops, or when the spinal cord is under pressure.
Recovery tends to be brisk because there is no fusion to protect. Most patients go home the same day, resume desk work within 1 to 2 weeks, and build activity back steadily. Formal physical therapy after cervical disc replacement is often not needed — movement is the point of the implant — though it can be added if stiffness or deconditioning calls for it as recovery progresses.
Second opinions in Princeton
Told you need a fusion and wondering whether your motion could be saved — or offered a replacement and wondering whether fusion is sturdier? Both questions deserve a second opinion. Princeton patients bring their MRI to the North Garland clinic for an independent candidacy assessment, with the reasoning laid out level by level, before committing to either operation.
Frequently asked questions
How is a disc replacement different from a fusion?
Both operations remove the same damaged disc through the front of the neck and take pressure off the nerve root or spinal cord. They diverge in what fills the space. Fusion places graft material so the two vertebrae unite into one bone and the level stops moving. Replacement installs an artificial disc that maintains height and alignment while the level continues to move, much as the original disc did.
Who makes a good candidate for cervical disc replacement?
The strongest candidates have one or two diseased levels, a spine that lines up well, facet joints that are still healthy, and solid bone for the implant to anchor to. Symptoms should match the imaging — arm pain, tingling, or weakness from the level in question. Significant facet arthritis, deformity, instability, or osteoporosis each argue against replacement. Candidacy is decided from your MRI and examination together, not from enthusiasm for newer technology.
Can replacement be done at more than one level?
It can, in selected patients, at two levels — but each additional level multiplies the anatomical requirements. Both levels need healthy facet joints and good alignment, and the symptoms must be traceable to the levels proposed. Where multilevel disease coexists with arthritis or deformity, fusion is frequently the more predictable construction. Your imaging determines which category you are in, and that determination is explained plainly at consultation.
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What does recovery look like after disc replacement?
Most patients return home the same day and are back at desk work within 1 to 2 weeks. Because nothing needs to fuse, there is no graft to shield, and gentle neck movement is encouraged early rather than restricted. Activity builds over the following weeks with follow-up checks on the implant's position and your symptoms. Heavier physical work in the Princeton trades follows a staged return set out before surgery.
Will I need physical therapy afterward?
In many cases a formal course of therapy after cervical disc replacement is unnecessary. Preserving motion is the purpose of the implant, and most patients restore comfortable movement through ordinary use plus the guidance provided at discharge. If your neck stiffens, or your shoulders and upper back need reconditioning after months of guarded movement, therapy is arranged then. It follows your recovery rather than a standing routine applied to everyone.
Are there reasons to choose fusion instead?
Yes, and they are anatomical rather than conservative. Fusion handles instability, corrects deformity, and performs reliably when facet joints are arthritic — settings where a motion device can fare poorly. It also carries the longer track record. When those features are present in your neck, recommending replacement anyway would trade durability for novelty. The consultation weighs both operations against your actual imaging, and the reasoning is shared with you.
How long does an artificial cervical disc last?
Honest answer: implants are engineered and tested for long service, and patients should choose replacement for what it does now — relieve nerve pressure while keeping the level mobile — rather than for a guaranteed lifespan. Like any mechanical device it can wear, and a small number of patients eventually need further surgery at that level. That possibility is discussed openly, alongside the parallel possibility of later surgery after a fusion.
What risks are specific to disc replacement?
Alongside the general risks of front-of-neck surgery — temporary throat soreness, hoarseness, swallowing difficulty, infection, or dural injury — replacement adds device-specific ones: an implant that shifts position, bone forming around it that stiffens the level, or wear over time. Careful sizing and placement, and strict candidacy, are how those risks are kept low. They are reviewed in full before you consent, with your own imaging on the screen.
Where do Princeton patients have disc replacement assessed?
At the North Garland clinic, 7217 Telecom Pkwy, Suite 325, Garland, TX 75044 — about 35 minutes from Princeton via US-380 west to US-75 and the President George Bush Turnpike east. To arrange the visit, call (972) 817-7450 — and bring your MRI images with you. The assessment settles the essential question: whether your neck's alignment, joints, and bone make you a genuine candidate for a motion-preserving disc, or whether fusion serves you better.
Care pathway
Cervical disc replacementMotion preservationDr. Jihoon ChoiRockwall · Garland · Forney · Greenville
Initial consultation or second opinion?
Princeton patients can meet Dr. Jihoon Choi at the North Garland clinic for an honest candidacy check — whether an artificial disc can preserve your neck motion, or whether fusion is the more dependable operation. Call (972) 817-7450 or request a visit online.