Minimally Invasive Procedure: Microdiscectomy

What Is a Microdiscectomy?

A microdiscectomy treats disc herniation, where disc material presses on nearby spinal nerves—often causing leg pain (sciatica).

Using magnification and specialized instruments, the surgeon removes the offending disc fragment through a small incision while preserving healthy tissue.

Common Symptoms

Patients who may benefit from microdiscectomy often experience:

• Leg pain worse than back pain
• Sharp, radiating pain down one leg
• Numbness or tingling in the leg or foot
• Weakness in the affected leg
• Symptoms that persist despite conservative treatment

Microdiscectomy Surgery

Most disc ruptures resolve gradually without surgical intervention, but certain cases may warrant immediate surgical attention. The reasons can include major loss of mobility, bowel or bladder function, with the most common reason being extreme pain that hasn’t been alleviated through non-invasive measures.

Microdiscectomy is performed through a small incision using minimally invasive techniques.

Microdiscectomies are most effective at treating the radiating pain that occurs often in the buttocks or legs. While this pain can be treated without surgical intervention, a microdiscectomy will offer the fastest and most effective healing times.

This procedure has 85 to 95 percent success rate in relieving pain in the aforementioned regions. Alleviation will typically come immediately following the procedure, although it may take up to six to eight weeks for complete relief.