Lumbar discectomy is a surgical procedure in which the damaged spinal disc in the lumbar region (lower back) is partially or completely removed. When the spinal disc in the lumbar region is ruptured or damaged, it may slip out of place and pinch the surrounding nerve roots, leading to the symptoms of nerve radiculopathy, such as numbness, tingling sensations, and muscle weakness in the lower back and legs. Brand Surgical Institute uses cutting-edge minimally invasive surgical techniques to remove the damaged disc and alleviate back pain.
What is Lumbar discectomy?
How does lumbar discectomy alleviate back pain?
Intervertebral discs, also known as spinal discs, are shock absorbers between the vertebrae of the spine. They have a soft nucleus and a firm outer shell, allowing the vertebrae to move smoothly against each other without friction. When the spinal discs in the lower back slip out of place, get damaged, or get ruptured, they may pinch the surrounding nerve roots, leading to painful symptoms that radiate through the lower back, hips, and legs.
Lumbar discectomy is a surgical procedure that involves the partial or complete removal of the damaged spinal disc. The surgeon makes a small incision on the lower back, through which they access the underlying spinal structures, including the vertebrae and damaged spinal discs. Depending on your unique condition, the surgeon removes the bulging parts of the spinal disc or the complete spinal disc. The surgeon may also perform a spinal fusion to join the adjacent vertebrae. This procedure decompresses the nerve roots and alleviates back pain.
You are the ideal candidate for lumbar discectomy if:
- You have severe and persistent chronic back pain lasting over 3 months.
- You have the symptoms of nerve compression in the lower back, such as numbness, tingling sensations, and the loss of bladder and bowel control.
- You have trouble standing, walking, or sitting because of inflamed nerves.
- Your conservative treatments, such as physical therapy, epidural steroid injections, and medications have failed or provided insufficient results.
- You are diagnosed with disc herniation or degenerative disc disease in the lumbar region.
- You don’t have medical conditions that preclude surgery.
What happens during lumbar discectomy?
Brand Surgical Institute performs a personalized lumbar discectomy after a thorough evaluation. Our surgeons will administer numerous imaging tests, such as x-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans, to identify the damaged spinal disc. We only provide spine surgery if other conservative solutions, such as physical therapy, epidural steroid injections, and medications fail to provide sustainable results. After an evaluation, our surgeons will curate a treatment plan.
Numerous techniques can be used to perform a lumbar discectomy. But our surgeons primarily rely on minimally invasive surgical techniques under general anesthesia. The surgeon makes an extremely small incision on the lower back, through which they insert specialized instruments to move the muscles out of the way, access the underlying spinal structures, and remove the damaged disc responsible for lower back pain.
The specific details of your surgery will depend on your condition. If the spine surgeon performs a partial discectomy, they will only remove the damaged parts of the spinal disc, following which the incision is closed. But if the surgeon performs a complete discectomy, the entire spinal disc will have to be removed, following which the adjacent vertebrae will have to be fused with grafts, screws, rods, and implants. The length of the surgery depends on the chosen technique.
Schedule a consultation for lumbar discectomy in Glendale, CA
Brand Surgical Institute is the leading woman-owned ambulatory surgical facility specializing in minimally invasive spine surgeries. Our surgeons stay abreast of the latest developments in spine surgery and pain management. They use cutting-edge technologies to diagnose the root cause of lumbar pain and curate a personalized treatment plan. We also believe in educating patients about their health and treatment options and supporting them through every stage of the recovery process. Please schedule an appointment to explore your lumbar discectomy options in Glendale.
