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When medical treatment is not effective and signs of neurological compression persist (sciatica or cruralgia), surgical removal (excision) of the hernia may be proposed.
This procedure is never obligatory except in the following emergency situations:
• Motor deficiency (paralyzing sciatica)
• Intolerable pain not relieved by morphine (hyperalgesic)
• "Ponytail" syndrome causing perineal or sphincteric disorders.
In other cases, it is the evolution and repercussion of pain and its effect on the patient's daily life that dictates whether surgical intervention is required.
Minimally invasive herniated disc surgery utilises techniques that minimize the size of the incision and promote rapid healing.
It includes techniques that are designed to reduce surgical trauma - either microsurgery with a microscope or endoscopic laser surgery with an endoscope - in order to avoid bleeding, reduce the risk of infection and speed up surgical follow-up. This allows the patient to rise one hour after surgery and even leave the surgical establishment on the same day (ambulatory surgery).
Information on this site should not be used as a substitute for talking with your doctor. Always talk with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment information.
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Cervical disc herniation is a common cause of neck and upper body pain. It is sometimes referred to as “sciatica of the arm" and as in the case of a lumbar disc herniation, it is a compressed nerve that is responsible for the symptoms.
A soft disc herniation may be reabsorbed or, on the contrary, calcified and persist. The therapeutic choice will depend on the neurological repercussion of the hernia and the evolution of the symptoms under medical treatment.
The surgical procedure is recommended if there is uncontrollable pain in spite of the analgesic and anti-inflammatory treatment (hyperalgesic cervico-brachial neuralgia); in case of persistent pain after several weeks of medical treatment; or in the case of paralysis.
Information on this site should not be used as a substitute for talking with your doctor. Always talk with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment information.
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The objective of artificial disc replacement is to replace a painful disc with an artificial one, which mimics the form and function of the spine’s natural disc. This not only eliminates pain, but also allows the patient to regain or maintain mobility.
The goal of the surgery is to release compressed nerve roots. To achieve this, the surgeon decompresses the nerve root by removing the herniated disc and performing curettage (scraping) of the disc. The incision he/she makes does not exceed 3 to 4 centimetres in the lower back and the muscles are not severed. The surgeon then introduces a 1 mm diameter tube under radiological control, which he directs towards the damaged area. He/she then removes the hernia and performs curettage on the injured disc.
The advantages of microsurgery are multiple: a smaller incision, reduced risk of infection, less bleeding and pain after surgery, shorter hospital stay and faster activity recovery, plus a smaller, less visible scar.
Information on this site should not be used as a substitute for talking with your doctor. Always talk with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment information.
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Lumbar spinal stenosis occurs when the spinal nerves in the lower back are choked, resulting in leg pain (sciatica) and other symptoms, including tingling, weakness or numbness that radiates from the lower back into the buttocks and legs.
Initially, medical treatment is recommended in the first instance. Pain can be reduced by analgesics or anti- inflammatory drugs.
If this proves unsuccessful or unsustainable, corticoid infiltrations into the spine may be proposed – the goal of which is to decrease inflammation and reduce pain.
However, these treatments do not enlarge the spinal canal, nor do they decompress the nerves. Therefore, if the pain becomes intolerable and the disease is too disabling despite the drugs, surgical treatment may be considered.
In fact, surgery is the only treatment that allows the diameter of the spinal canal to be enlarged and to the nerve fibres to be decompressed. Depending on the extent of the contraction, interventions vary. Sometimes, it is simply enough to remove fragments of bone or ligaments that obstruct the spinal canal. This is called recalibration.
If this is not sufficient, the surgeon will perform a laminectomy. This procedure involves removing a portion of the bone located at the back of a vertebra called the vertebral plate. Depending on the case, the surgeon removes one or more blades. This operation is not without risks and is done under general anaesthetic.
Information on this site should not be used as a substitute for talking with your doctor. Always talk with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment information.
