Francis A. Pflum, M.D., Spine Arthroscopy Center Of New York And New Jersey

Interactive Patient Education

The intervertebral disc is a shock absorber between two vertebral bodies but
it is also a joint made out of cartilage and therefore an endoscopy of this joint
would more appropriately be included in “ARTHROSCOPY” therefore
excision of this disc from inside out is referred to as “SPINAL ARTHROSCOPY”.

In the process of performing SPINAL ARTHROSCOPY in the neck there are many
vital structures in a small area therefore a second person is mandatory for maximum
patient safety. The availability of an excellent, specifically, trained assistant is
unusual, therefore Dr. Pflum performs this procedure with a co-surgeon. This co-surgeon
not only performs the procedure with Dr. Pflum but independently evaluates and counsels
the patient pre-operatively, agrees or disagrees to do the procedure with Dr. Pflum
and equally shares in the responsibility for the patient.

Arthroscopic Anterior Diskectomy of the Cervical Spine
Francis A. Pflum, M.D., Ronald M. Selby, M.D., and Jerald P. Vizzone, D.O.

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Anterior cervical diskectomy has been accepted as a treatment for disk decompression
for over 45 years. Twenty years ago, it was accepted that cervical diskectomy with or without a fusion resulted in similar patient satisfaction. It has been suggested that partial diskectomy with preservation of the anterior disk would be a beneficial procedure by which to accomplish decompression without instability. Historically, there have been many contributors to the development of this technique, which has been performed numerous times with consistent, reproducible results and no serious complications.