| A herniated disc is caused when the vertebral disc is | | | | procedure. The herniated disc surgeon will next cut |
| injured and sticks out to the spinal canal, placing | | | | open the muscles which surround the spine to clearly |
| pressure on the nerve roots. The inner component of | | | | see the damaged area and remove small bone |
| the disc seeps out and places more pressure on the | | | | ligaments from the spine. This part of the procedure is |
| nerve roots or spinal cord creating acute pain thus | | | | medically termed a laminotomy. |
| indicating the occurrence of the herniated disc. | | | | Once the selected ligaments have been removed |
| A herniated disc which places pressure upon the | | | | from the spine, the herniated disc surgeon will be able |
| sciatic nerve, results in what is termed sciatic pain. This | | | | to see the spinal nerves, and then make the |
| pain is felt from the hip down through the legs. | | | | appropriate decision and action to protect it from the |
| Herniated discs without fragmentation cannot be easily | | | | herniated disc. Depending on the complexity of the |
| detected by normal X-ray procedures, but rather | | | | herniated disc, more fragments may be removed to |
| identified clearly by CT (Computer Tomography) scan | | | | prevent a future disc herniation occuring. Once the |
| or MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). In most cases, | | | | herniated disc surgery is completed, the surgeon will |
| a herniated disc will improve simply with bed rest- and | | | | close the wound, and apply bandages. |
| a basic course of medication. This obviously depends | | | | In most cases of herniated disc surgery, the patient will |
| on the severity of the herniated disc, and the condition | | | | wake up from the anaesthetic with almost no |
| of health of the patient suffering from the conditions. If | | | | remaining symptoms of the herniated disc- which is |
| the pain persists after 6 - 8 weeks, and is near | | | | obviously initially a mssive relief. A sometimes more |
| unbearable, then the doctor or physician should | | | | effective and less invasive type of herniated disc |
| recommend herniated disc surgery as a last resort. | | | | surgery is an endoscopic microdiscectomy. This is |
| The herniated disc surgeon should perform a thorough | | | | essentially the same process as the open discectom, |
| analysis and diagnosis of the exact reasons for one's | | | | but a smaller incision is made, and in most cases a |
| herniated disc . The main goal of any herniated disc | | | | quicker recovery time is observed. This would be |
| surgery is to relieve the pressure being placed on the | | | | recommended for patients who have less of a |
| nerve caused by the rupturing of the disc in the spine. | | | | recovery time available to them. |
| The most common surgical approach is a discectomy, | | | | In deciding which method of treating a herniated disc, |
| or partial discectomy. | | | | the advice of a recommended doctor and physician is |
| With a discectomy, the surgery is performed under | | | | vital. Surgery is definitely not the best option for all |
| general anaesthetic and normally does not last much | | | | sufferers of a herniated disc- and can be a far too |
| longer than 1 hour. The herniated disc surgeon begins | | | | aggressive option for the majority of sufferers of a |
| the procedure with an incision at the center part of the | | | | herniated disc. It is always advised to try medication |
| patient's back. For this reason it is crucial that the | | | | and physical therapy before contemplating surgery as |
| patient is lying with his or her face down during the | | | | an option in curing a herniated disc. |