Unlike lumbar spine surgery that requires a surgical cut about 2 to 5 inches long, microdiskectomy is less invasive, and done using a very small surgical cut about about 1 to 1 ½ inches long. Microdiskectomy is done while you are under local anesthesia (awake but pain-free) or general anesthesia (asleep and pain-free).
A special high-powered microscope magnifies the affected disk(s) and nerves, and guides the doctor during surgery.The surgeon makes a small cut on your back and moves the back muscles away from the spine. After identifying and moving the nerve root, the surgeon removes the injured disk tissue and fragments. The back muscles are placed back into the normal position, and the wound is closed with stitches or staples.
Spinal microdiskectomy is done to relieve nerve pain and pressure. It may be performed in patients with the following conditions:
It's important to note that patients with low back pain are usually treated conservatively before surgery is considered. Traction, anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, and exercise are often prescribed. Over time, many of the symptoms of low back pain will improve without surgery.
As with any surgery, there are risks for anesthesia including reactions to medications and problems breathing as well as risks of bleeding and infection. Talk to your physician about these risks.
Additional risks specific to this surgery include:
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Dural tears (tears to the tissue called the dura mater, which covers the spinal cord and spinal nerves)
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Nerve root damage
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Reherniation of the same disk
Because of the small surgical cut, the doctor may miss some disk fragments. This could result in persistent pain.
Most patients have pain relief and improved function after surgery, and numbness and tingling gets better.
