Hi Lee,
I do not know enough about nucelotomy to answer your question, but I believe there is a detailed description on the Alphaklinik's website. A discectomy is when part, or all, of the disc is removed. In a cervical endoscopic discectomy (CED), approximately 10% is removed.
Prior to the three-level CED, I had constant shoulder blade pain, pain at the base of my neck, pain that radiated down my left arm, occasional "electrical shock pains" down my left arm, frequent numbness and tingling in my left hand, and occasional numbness and tingling in the right hand. Eight weeks or so post-op, almost all of my pre-op symptoms were relieved, except for some numbness in my fingertips and occasional bouts of muscle spasm pain in my shoulder blades.
I cannot say for sure that the compression was relieved as shown in a new MRI since I did not have one for more than six years--my insurance refused to pay for a new MRI as I had no ongoing symtoms.
I do not believe that discs will become healthy post-op. Black discs indicate that the discs are becoming dessicated and are degenerating. I have no idea what operation would fix that--nothing that is currently being done unless it's brand new. The purpose of endoscopic or percutaneous surgery is to remove the part of the disc that is compressing nerves or the spinal cord, not to repair the disc itself.
As for the space for the spinal cord (6.3 mm at C6-7 and 9.4 mm at C5-6), do you know what is reducing the space? Do you have a herniated or bulging disc that is pushing against the spinal cord or do you have bony growths that are reducing the space?
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