About Herniated Disk Surgery

When a herniated disk causes spinal nerve damaged or pain so severe that it limits involvement of daily activities, surgery may be necessary. This article describes the most common surgical approaches for a herniated disk, and tells you what you to expect during your recovery.

Considerations

Though a herniated disk is a common back injury, most cases do not require surgical intervention. Before your doctor recommends surgery, he will recommend a number of conservative treatment options first. These include rest, courses of over-the-counter or injected steroids, physical therapy or spinal manipulation and the use of anti inflammatory or pain medications. Though one or more of these approaches are enough for most people with a herniated disk, an unlucky few continue to have debilitating pain or nerve involvement which restricts sensation or movement. In these cases, surgery is the next step.

Types

Your neurosurgeon will choose the type of surgery most appropriate for your condition, though the most common approaches are a laminectomy and a discectomy. In a laminectomy, portions of the vertebrae surrounding the herniated disk are removed to allow more space for the nerves entering and exiting the spinal cord. Some of the damaged disk itself may also be removed if it is blocking the spinal column. In a discectomy, the damaged portion of the herniated disk is removed in order to decrease pressure on the spinal nerves. In some cases, the vertebra surrounding the damaged disk may be fused together to prevent future problems or relapses. Both surgeries aim to relieve spinal nerve compression which is often caused by herniated disks.

Benefits

An advantage of having herniated disk surgery is that after rehabilitation, you can usually return to life as it was before your injury. While you may continue to have pain postoperatively for a period of time, it can be helpful to know that there is an end in sight. If your motor nerves were affected by your herniated disk, the return of muscle function following surgery can make the difference between walking, or spending the rest of your life in a wheelchair.

Misconceptions

Though many people believe herniated disk surgery will immediately restore all of their function, this is not always the case. This can be a big letdown after the procedure. In some cases, nerves may be have already been damaged beyond repair. Pain may continue for many months following surgery. If you are hoping for a quick fix, you may be disappointed following your procedure. While the main problem may have been repaired, physical therapy is still necessary to restore as much of your function as possible after surgery.

Time Frame

How long can you expect recovery from herniated disk surgery to take? Sadly, this answer is not straight forward and depends on what kind of damage your initial injury caused. For some people, simply removing debris from around the spinal cord nerves solves all of their problems, and they can return to their prior level of activity within a few weeks. For others, movement and sensation may have been impaired before surgery, and recovery could take months. An unfortunate few may never feel any relief of symptoms following their surgery. Before you have your surgery, be sure to ask your doctor what kind of recovery he anticipates for you.