• 46-year-old lady who presented with severe pain, numbness and weakness of left upper extremity with radiation from the neck to the suprascapular, midscapular, radial aspect of the arm, and involving the index finger and thumb. She lost her employment as a surgeon due to the inability to operate as a result of the loss of manual dexterity and pain.
  
  
• Her neurological examination showed normal strength, but numbness in the thumb and index finger on both sides. She also had brisk reflexes and positive Hoffman’s sign.

MRI scan of patient's cervical spine (neck) shows stenosis (narrowing) at C5-C6, and C6-C7.

After a comprehensive work-up and eliminating other potential contributing causes of her disease, and an appropriate period of conservative measures, she underwent anterior cervical discectomy and instrumented fusion (ACDF) at C5-C6, and C6-C7.

• She did well postoperatively with complete resolution of her symptoms. Her pain resolved and manual dexterity returned to normal.