Surgery Options For A Herniated Disc

Spinal Surgery is used to treat herniated discs when all non-invasive options have failed to relieve the condition, or when there is a risk of long term nerve damage.

A herniated disc can cause pain by putting pressure on the spinal nerves as they exit the spinal cord and/or may cause a chemical irritation and inflammation at the nerve root.  At Spinex Disc Clinic we provide non-invasive treatments but there are occasions when surgery is necessary or the most appropriate treatment.

Spinal Decompression

“Decompression” surgery is used to relieve pain by surgically removing part of the disc or bone of the vertebrae to take pressure off the spinal nerve and remove the source of irritation.

There is a wide variety of surgical techniques from minimally invasive techniques to open surgery.

Laminectomy

This involves the partial or complete removal of the lamina bone to create space for spinal nerves. The lamina is the thin part of the bones that make up the vertebrae which protect the spinal cord. A laminectomy may be given

Discectomy & Microdiscectomy

This is the most common surgery to relieve leg pain caused by a herniated disc. It involves removing the part of the disc nucleus which has pushed through the disc wall and is pressing on or irritating the nerves.

Spinal Fusion

When a disc degenerates or the herniation renders a disc beyond a condition of being able to fulfil its shock absorbing function, a spinal fusion may be performed. Here two vertebral segments sandwiching the disc are fixed together using screws.

The stabilisation removes movement and creates space for the nerves to exit the spinal column.

Summary

Spinal surgery has developed significantly in the last 30 years as technology has improved and knowledge has grown. There are many types of surgery and techniques and spinal surgery can provide significant benefits for the right candidates, but is not without risks.

At Spinex Disc Clinic our goal is to help patients avoid the need for invasive procedures but when surgery is the most appropriate treatment, we can refer you to a spinal surgeon.