Back surgery for a herniated or ruptured disc is almost always the last resort. Most patients with back pain, neck pain, and other symptoms related to a degenerating or injured disc can manage those symptoms through a regimen of nonsurgical treatment methods. These methods might include nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); low-impact exercise; stretching; corticosteroid injections; and more.

However, if symptoms persist after several weeks or months of conservative, nonsurgical treatments, elective surgery might become an option. If so, it is important to understand exactly what the procedure you expect to undergo entails.

Know Your Disc Procedures

Here is an overview of some of the types of back surgery used to combat disc pain:

– Artificial disc replacement -an experimental procedure used to alleviate back or neck pain. The goal is to improve mobility in patients whose lives have been affected adversely by chronic pain associated with degeneration of an intervertebral disc. This is an invasive surgery, in which a large incision is made in the neck, throat, back, or abdomen; and some or all of an intervertebral disc is removed and replaced by a metal and polyethylene prosthetic device designed to imitate the cushioning effect of a healthy disc.

– Corpectomy – surgery to remove the entire intervertebral disc as well as the bony anterior mass of a vertebra, which is known as the vertebral body. This highly invasive procedure usually is reserved for patients who have suffered severe spinal trauma, severe disc degeneration, or need a vertebra removed to excise a spinal tumor. It involves the replacement of the vertebral body with an implant or implants made of metal, ceramic material, acrylic, or carbon.

– Open back or neck discectomy – the complete or partial removal of an intervertebral disc in order to alleviate back or neck pain and other debilitating symptoms. This is highly invasive surgery, often involving artificial disc replacement (ADR) and spinal fusion, and requires many months of recuperation.

– Spinal fusion – typically a highly invasive spine surgery designed to alleviate neck or back pain and improve range of motion in patients whose quality of life has been severely affected by degenerative spine conditions such as degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis. The procedure usually involves the removal of a large portion of the spinal anatomy, which is replaced by stabilizing hardware made of metal plates or screws and polyethylene spacers. Bone graft material often is used to help lock, or fuse, vertebrae together over time.

The Minimally Invasive Alternative

Each back surgery for disc problems listed above requires overnight hospitalization, a rather large incision, removal of a significant portion of the spinal anatomy, and a long, often grueling rehabilitation period. A proven alternative to this unpleasant prospect is minimally invasive spine surgery, performed with advanced endoscopic techniques.

Outpatient laser spine facilities around the world have begun to enjoy greater prominence in the medical community over the past decade, largely because of the many favorable outcomes of their patients. Minimally invasive procedures require no overnight hospitalization, need a much smaller incision, carry less risk of infection, and generally entail a far shorter period of recuperation – typically no more than a month.

How does a minimally invasive procedure work? The surgeon makes a small incision, normally no more than a half-inch. A small tube is inserted into the incision to give the surgeon access to the site on the spine where symptoms originate. The surgical instruments, including a camera called an endoscope, are threaded through the tube. Only the precise portion of the spinal anatomy that is causing the problem is removed. For example, if extruded gel-like material from the middle of a disc is compressing an adjacent nerve root, the material is cleaned or cauterized away to decompress the nerve. Patients often can walk within an hour or two of the procedure, and many go home the very same day.

Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient back disc surgery as well as surgical treatments for several other common degenerative spinal conditions.

Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective back surgery for disc problems and other issues. http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/back_problems/bulging_disc/bulging_disc_treatments/surgery/

Author Bio: Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient back disc surgery as well as surgical treatments for several other common degenerative spinal conditions.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: back disc surgery