The goal of surgery is to remove the herniated disc fragment, not the entire disc. Using a minimally invasive tubular approach, the muscles are gently separated rather than cut, minimizing tissue disruption and allowing most patients to walk on the day of surgery.
Not every disc problem is best treated with a microdiscectomy. If the disc space has significantly collapsed, the spinal segment is unstable, or spinal stenosis is the primary source of symptoms, a different procedure may provide a better long-term result. Microdiscectomy is specifically designed for patients with nerve compression caused by a focal disc herniation, and when the diagnosis is clear, it can provide some of the most rapid and gratifying symptom relief in spine surgery.
What to expect
- Typically outpatient. A one-inch incision.
- Leg pain often improves before the back soreness from the tube site does.
Recovery
- Walking is the first medicine. Sitting for long stretches is limited early on.
- Recurrence is possible with any disc herniation; activity is progressed rather than banned forever.