The majority of people diagnosed with a herniated disc will not have to be subjected to surgery.  Those that pass the qualifications for a surgery will be given surgical options.  The more traditional open back surgery is not as common today because of the risks involved, as well as the longer recovery time and hospitalization requirement.

The non-traumatic surgeries available for people require a less invasive incision.  Because of this, the recovery time is almost immediate and requires no hospital time.  In fact, most people will go home the same day and will only require a band-aid over the incision.

Herniated Disc – Percutaneous Endoscopic Discectomy

In this procedure, a local anesthetic is given to the patient.  A small incision will be made for a round Depuy Tube.  As the tube is inserted, the muscles will be pushed out of the way.  In a traditional surgery, these muscles would have been cut or torn.  This tube will help to prevent damage to the surrounding muscles.

A laser, camera, suction, irrigation, and other surgical instruments will be inserted through this tube.  The laser will vaporize the disc material, which will reduce pressure on the spinal cord or nerve.  Relief will generally be felt as the pressure is taken off of the nerve.   The tube will be removed, and the muscles will move back into their original place.

This herniated disc procedure will take from 30 to 45 minutes.   Recovery time is usually less than two hours. The patient will be able to leave as long as there is someone to drive him/her home.

Herniated Disc – Endoscopic Cervical and Lumbar Discectomy (Laser Spine Surgery)

Endoscopic laser spine surgery is a minimally invasive procedure that only requires a local anesthetic.   A small metal tube is inserted into the area where the herniated disc has ruptured.  With the help of an X-ray and a camera, a large piece of disc material will be vaporized with a laser.  This will kill the pain nerves inside the disc and harden the disc to prevent more leakage of the disc material.  These two types of laser spine surgery are similar, yet they do have some minor differences.   One of these differences is the size of tube that is used.  A cervical discectomy will require a 4mm in diameter tube, while a lumbar will require a 3mm in diameter tube.  Both surgeries have a high success rate and are highly recommended as opposed to the traditional open back surgery.

Herniated Disc Laser Spine Surgery Postoperative Care

The majority of the patients will feel relief from pain immediately following the procedure.  Patients are allowed to get up and walk the same day.  They can be released from the hospital within one to two hours.

Muscle relaxants may be prescribed for those who experience lower back muscle spasms.  These muscle spasms can last for a few days after the procedure.  A patient may also use heat and a light massage for these muscle spasms, if needed.