L

umbar microdiscectomy basically consists of a small surgery to remove the herniated part of the lumbar disc. This injury to the disc causes irritation and/or inflammation in the nerve root since the disc puts pressure on it.

Normally, when the herniated disc produces intense pain, radically affecting our daily life, the intervention is chosen. Microdiscectomy is normally carried out for a lumbar disc herniation, it is highly effective against the leg pain that it causes.

What should I consider before a lumbar microdiscectomy?
Before talking to you about the surgical procedure, it is important to carry out a series of guidelines in our everyday life. Therefore, we are going to leave you with a series of recommendations to deal with lumbar microdiscectomy and its subsequent recovery:

• Avoid smoking before surgery.
• Be careful with certain medications. Before surgery, it is essential to inform if you are taking medication.
• Leading a healthy lifestyle will help the subsequent recovery.
• During the first days after surgery, it is recommended to make the minimum effort.
• You should consider asking someone for help in getting you from the hospital to your home, as well as for daily tasks.

The surgical procedure
Having given these tips, it is time to clear up doubts about the surgical procedure:

• The surgeon will make a small incision, that is, a cut in the midline of the lower back.
• Next, some of the muscles are separated in order to expose the back and have the correct access to the spine.
• The surgeon will make a small hole called a laminectomy in your spine.
• Using the microscope, the surgeon will identify the nerves and disc.
• Once all the above procedure is done, it is time to remove the damaged part of the disc.
• Once the pressure on the nerve has been removed, the surgeon will suture the wound.

The results
We must consider that a herniated disc that causes almost excruciating leg pain can take weeks to improve. However, patients who undergo this type of intervention allege that they feel relief in their legs shortly after the intervention.

Another fact to keep in mind is that between 85-90% of the people intervened allege that the intervention has been worthwhile.

Advantages of lumbar microdiscectomy

• We will mention the following:
• It decreases leg pain caused by a herniated disc, even eliminating it.
• The incision made is very small, making it minimally invasive. The surgical incision is at most 3 cms.
• The healthy material of the disc does not suffer, that is, it is conserved and continues to function normally.
• Adjacent discs are not damaged in any way.
• On the day of surgery, you will be able to walk and get up.
• A quick return to activities of daily and work life.