Lumbar disc herniation surgery treats a bulging disc in the lower back that presses on a nerve and causes leg pain, numbness or weakness. It is usually suggested only when conservative treatment has failed or significant neurological symptoms appear, and aims to relieve pressure on the nerve and improve pain and function. The treating team decides after examination and MRI.
Options include discectomy by conventional or microsurgical technique through a small incision, removing the part that presses on the nerve, and endoscopic discectomy through an even smaller incision using a thin tube with a camera. It is done under general anaesthesia, or local anaesthesia with sedation, and usually takes one to two hours.
Patients usually walk within hours to a day and go home the same day or after one to two days. Activity is limited for a few weeks, then resumes gradually. Symptoms usually improve within weeks, and full recovery may take several months, depending on the condition of the nerve.
The final cost is set after a medical consultant reviews your case and photos.
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It aims to relieve pressure on the nerve, so leg pain, numbness and weakness often improve. The treating team determines the expected benefit in each case, especially when conservative treatment has not been enough.
It suits people whose symptoms have not improved after weeks of conservative treatment, and those with increasing muscle weakness or severe pain that cannot be tolerated. Loss of control over urine or stool calls for urgent assessment. The doctor decides after examination and MRI.
Blood tests, an anaesthesia assessment and a medication review are carried out, blood thinners are stopped only as your doctor directs, and fasting is required before surgery. Stopping smoking and preparing your home for a comfortable recovery are recommended.
The surgeon reaches the disc through a small incision in the lower back, using a microscope in the conventional technique, or through an even smaller incision with a thin tube and camera in the endoscopic technique, and then removes the part that presses on the nerve to free it.
Patients usually walk on the same day and avoid bending and lifting for a few weeks, and physiotherapy sessions may be recommended. Many can return to desk work within a few weeks, while heavy work takes longer.
Leg pain often improves within days to weeks, while numbness and weakness may take months to resolve. The length of benefit varies, and the herniation may recur at the same level in a small number of patients.
They include infection, bleeding, a tear in the membrane around the nerves with cerebrospinal fluid leakage, nerve injury, which is uncommon, recurrence of the herniation and persistent pain, along with anaesthesia risks. Your doctor discusses what applies to your case.
A small scar remains in the lower back, slightly larger with conventional surgery and smaller with the endoscopic approach, and it fades with time.
Staying about three to seven days after surgery is often advised so the wound can be checked and your ability to move confirmed. The treating doctor confirms the appropriate travel date for your case.
Both remove the part of the disc that presses on the nerve, but the endoscopic approach uses a smaller incision and a thin tube, and may bring less pain afterwards and a faster recovery for some patients. The surgeon chooses the suitable technique according to the location of the disc and the patient's condition.
