Microdiscectomy is a very common, if not the most common, surgery performed by spine surgeons. The operation consists of removing a portion of the intervertebral disc, the herniated or protruding portion that is compressing the traversing spinal nerve root.
Discectomy is surgery to remove lumbar (low back) herniated disc material that is pressing on a nerve root or the spinal cord. It tends to be done as microdiscectomy, which uses a special microscope to view the disc and nerves. This larger view allows the surgeon to use a smaller cut (incision).
It may take about 1 hour. Here is an example of what you might expect: You will receive a local anesthetic so that you won't feel any pain or discomfort during the procedure.
The overall lumbar discectomy recovery time is approximately 10 days to 3 weeks, but you may be feeling back to normal well before that time. Be sure to work closely with your doctor to understand how your specific lumbar discectomy recovery time should progress.
Most lumbar microdiscectomy patients are able to go home from the hospital a few hours after the surgery. The traditional approach to recovering from lumbar microdiscectomy has been to limit bending, lifting, or twisting for a minimum of 3 weeks in order to prevent the disc from herniating again.
It is a minimally invasive procedure performed through a tubular device and designed to relieve pain caused by herniated disc pressing on nerve roots. It is performed by technologically advanced and newer instruments to remove the prolapsed disc with very small incision, decrease dissection and decreased disruption of normal tissue. An incision of size 5 mm is made over the site of disc.
Because the incision is so small, there is negligible surgical trauma to normal tissue and muscles, negligible blood loss. Special retractors are placed in the incision. An endoscope, which is basically a tube with camera at the tip is placed inside the incision and we reach to the spine. Small amount of bone is removed and herniated disc is removed through that hole. Free nerve root is visualised through the endoscope.
Then endoscope and retractors are removed. Since the incision is so small some surgeon choose to put band aid over the wound. Usually the scar of surgery is not noticeable after a month time.
This can also be done by a small key hole incision – Endoscopic Discectomy In more severe cases, your doctor may replace the disc with an artificial one or remove the disc and fuse your vertebrae together. This procedure, along with a laminectomy and spinal fusion, adds stability to your spinal column.