Microdiscectomy

This is a smaller form of a laminectomy for the treatment of a herniated disc. A smaller approach is made to the spine, a one inch incision is usually enough, some can be done endoscopically with a telescope. A unilateral approach, saving the bone, only ligament is removed, then the disk frament is removed to relieve the pressure on the nerve. Some patients can go home the same day of surgery, usually an overnight stay is recommended.

A microdiscectomy is done to relieve the pressure on the nerve from a herniated disk. The surgery takes about an hour and the relief of leg pain is almost immediate. The pain of surgery lasts a few days and the expected recovery is a month. The reason for doing surgery is unrelenting pain or a deficit of nerve function, numbness or weakness.