Lumbar disc microsurgery, or minimally invasive lumbar discectomy, is a treatment approach that has provided thousands of people struggling with herniated discs with relief.
It’s one of the most popular procedures among people electing to see a spine specialist in New York today because of the high success rate and the faster recovery times.
Specialists performed the first lumbar disc microsurgery in 1977. In the decades since then, technological advancements have improved the techniques and equipment necessary for the treatment even further. The result is a minimally invasive surgery that transforms 300,000 lives annually, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Your doctor may recommend lumbar disc microsurgery if you have a herniated disc. It often leads to sciatica symptoms such as back pain, leg pain, weakness, and tingling from the lower back area down to one of your legs.
However, the procedure is not the treatment for all types of back pain. It’s not always the right treatment, even for people with herniated discs.
Your doctor will only recommend lumbar disc microsurgery when all other approaches to treatment have failed to relieve the symptoms you’re feeling. The first course of treatment for musculoskeletal pain (which works for most patients) typically involves the use of anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy.
Doctors can complete lumbar disc microsurgery in three major ways.
During this surgery, the doctors will make a tiny incision in the back and insert a miniaturized camera and other instruments to work on the herniated part. During this approach, there’s very little disruption to the surrounding tissues around the site.
With this approach, the surgeon inserts various small dilators or tubes through a small incision to create a corridor through the muscle for the operation. Thus, there’s little disruption to the surrounding tissue while treating the herniated lumbar disc.
During this procedure, the surgeon will make a one to two-inch vertical incision in the back, lift surrounding muscles from the vertebrae, and then use a surgical instrument to keep layers of tissue apart while completing the surgery. It’s the most disruptive form of lumbar disc microsurgery.
Lumbar disc microsurgery has a high success rate — up to 85%, according to a 2015 study. Does this mean you’re guaranteed to enjoy long-term relief from sciatica by simply undergoing lumbar disc microsurgery? No, it doesn’t.
Recovery hinges heavily on factors such as your activity level and your lifestyle. However, there’s a relatively high probability that you will completely recover and return to your previous activities.
If you’re aiming for the best results with your lumbar disc microsurgery, you must choose the best surgeon possible. The best surgeons for your lumbar disc microsurgery are:
At New York Spine Specialist, we have a team of doctors who are vastly experienced in lumbar disc microsurgery techniques.
Our doctors accept most insurance plans, including workers’ compensation, no-fault, and PIP (personal injury protection). Same-day appointments may be available.
Call now to start your journey toward life without worrying about disc herniations.
Generally, you can expect a lumbar disc microsurgery to take 30 to 60 minutes. However, after the surgery, you’ll need to spend time in the recovery room for the anesthesia to wear off. In total, the process will take about two hours.
Surgical site infection occurs in 1% of cases, according to the National Library of Medicine. A tear in the tissues around the spinal nerves (the dura) may also occur. Surgeons fix it with a collagen patch or a suture.
The recovery time is around six weeks. However, many patients feel well enough to return to work after two weeks of rest.
Lumbar Disc Microsurgery has recently benefited from advancements in minimally invasive approaches and the surgery itself uses minimally invasive techniques which are generally well tolerated. Typically, this type of surgery is done on an out patient basis (i.e. the patient can return home the same day) and usually, rapid return to work is possible, but you should schedule a consultation with one of our specialists to discuss the treatment options.
