Your dear friend has had pain in her left hip for the past decade, and it has only gotten worse. Her films show severe osteoarthritis, even though she had joint resurfacing just a few years ago. This vibrant, 50-something woman now has so much pain that she can barely get through her day. Her nights are plagued with a dull, persistent ache—she can’t remember the last time she had good night’s sleep.
Your dear friend knows you are a physician, a surgeon. She turns to you for help. You look into her desperate, hopeful eyes and suggest…hip fusion surgery? Of course, not. So why do so many surgeons routinely recommend anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for cervical disc disease?
