Condition: Herniated Disc

Your spine is comprised of bones called vertebrae that are cushioned by small, spongy discs. When these discs are healthy, they act as shock absorbers for the spine and keep the spine flexible. But when a disc is damaged, it may bulge or break open. This is called a herniated disc. It may also be referred to as a slipped or ruptured disc.

As people age, our discs dry out and are not as flexible. When a disc is damaged, it often causes back or neck pain. It can also cause severe pain in the arm or leg. Symptoms of a herniated disc include numbness, tingling, or even weakness in the area of the body where the damaged nerve is located.

Herniated discs can occur in any part of your spine, but most herniated discs affect the lower back (lumbar spine) and in the neck (cervical spine).

Diagnosing Disc Problems

Most often, your physician can make the diagnosis of a herniated disc by physical examination. By testing sensation, muscle strength, and reflexes, your physician can often establish the diagnosis of a herniated disc.

After forming an opinion on the cause of the patient's pain, a diagnostic test may be ordered to confirm the disc problem and/or to gain additional information, such as the location of a herniated disc and impinged nerve roots.

A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) test is commonly used to aid in making the diagnosis of a herniated disc. The MRI displays an accurate assessment of the spinal nerves and anatomy, including disc alignment, height, hydration and configuration.

Another diagnostic test is a Computerized Technology (CT) scan, which works like an x-ray of the spine to show any abnormalities that might be present.

Making the diagnosis of a herniated disc and coming up with a treatment plan depends on the symptoms experienced by the patient, the physical examination findings, and the CT scan and MRI results. Once this information is gathered, a reasonable treatment plan can be considered.

Treatment: Percutaneous Minimally Invasive Laminectomy and Discectomy

Lumbar laminectomy refers to a surgical procedure most often used to repair herniated discs, spinal stenosis and other related conditions. The goal of a laminectomy is to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or spinal nerve by widening the spinal canal. This is done by removing the roof of the vertebrae to create more space for the nerves.

Spinal discectomy is a procedure for decompression of damaged spinal discs. With x-rays, fluoroscopy and video endoscopy tools as guides, a surgeon uses tiny surgical instruments into the disc, and a portion of the offending disc is removed and shrunk by laser. This technique is sometimes used for the removal of small bony spurs as well.