Microdiskectomy

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Herniated nucleus pulposis

Skeletal spine

Spine supporting structures

Cauda equina

Spinal stenosis

Overview

Recovery

Risks

Microdiskectomy

Alternative Names:

Spinal Microdiskectomy; Microdecompression

Expectations after surgery:

The majority of patients experience pain relief and improved function after surgery.

Convalescence:

You will be encouraged to get up and walk around as soon as your anesthesia wears off. Most microdiskectomy patients are released the day of surgery.

Patients typically are able to go back to your normal activities shortly after surgery, but should avoid sitting for prolonged periods or lifting heavy objects.

If you work in an office, you’ll most likely be able to return to work within 2 to 4 weeks. But if your job is more physically demanding, you may have to wait for up to 3 months.

Your doctor may recommend an exercise or physical therapy program to speed your recovery.

References:

Beers, MH. eds. Low Back Pain. In: Merck Manual of Medical Information, 3rd Home ed. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster; 2003: 515-521.

Koebbe, Christopher J., M.D., et al. “Lumbar Microdiscectomy: A Historical Perspective and Current Technical Considerations.” Neurosurg Focus 13 (2): Article 3, 2002.

Review Date: 3/4/2005
Reviewed By: Kevin Sheth, M.D., Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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