Herniated Disc, when to consider surgery.

Reading a disc in the lumbar or cervical spine is a very common pathology which is the cause of both low back pain and cervical back pain, however not all hernias require surgery.

When the pain is from the back to the leg, whether it runs down the front of the thigh or down the back of the leg to the foot with electric shock and sensations of burning, cold, tingling or pins and needles, it makes us think that one of the nerves in the lumbar spine is being pressed by the disc against bone. When this happens and the pain persists for more than 3 months or is accompanied by weakness in a muscle group related to this nerve, surgery is considered.

surgical options include open discectomy, microscopic discectomy, and endoscopic discectomy. The difference between these techniques is that open surgery requires an incision of about 2 to 5 cm, surgery with a microscope can give a wound of about 2 to 2 and a half cm, and surgery with an endoscope, a camera is introduced, which allows us to do it. with a 10 mm incision.

Among the minimally invasive surgeries is the option with a microscope that allows us a quick recovery with a small wound the microscope provides us with a better visualization of the structures which makes the surgery safer than a discectomy good good good yes ok this well yes another one a prescription with him yes that for tomorrow it is possible that he will not need it due to the effect of the blockade project he has good control of the name of the following in this 18 hours then this and well this is this and conventional or open. On the other hand, discectomy with an endoscope allows us to perform surgery in most cases with local anesthesia and sedation, allowing the patient to go home four hours after surgery and have an equal or faster recovery than with the microscope.

In patients who do not meet the criteria for surgery, it can be treated with physical therapy and rehabilitation or with some procedure to mitigate discomfort, either in the back or pain towards the leg, such as infiltrations either in the foramen (exit of the nerve ) to relieve pain specific to the nerve under pressure from herniation or epidural blocks.