Lumbar Disc Microsurgery

Understanding Lumbar Disc Microsurgery, Risks and Recovery

Lumbar Disc Microsurgery in Birmingham and Hoover, Alabama

Southlake Orthopaedics offers a range of treatments to help patients throughout Birmingham and Hoover, Alabama, with spine conditions experience less pain and more living. An effective treatment option doctors perform is lumbar disc microsurgery, a procedure designed to treat a herniated disc in the lower back causing severe pain. Patients can the information they need about lumbar disc microsurgery from the experienced doctors at Southlake Orthopaedics.

What Is Lumbar Disc Microsurgery?

A herniated disc occurs when a piece of intervertebral disc presses on the spinal nerve, leading to symptoms like radiculopathy, or pain emitting from the lower back to the buttocks and legs and causing a sensation of weakness, numbness, or tingling. Lumbar disc microsurgery is completed to remove this portion of the intervertebral disc.

Conditions That Can Be Treated With Lumbar Disc Microsurgery

Since the lumbar back region bears the most body weight and is most impacted by common motions like bending and twisting, the pain from disc herniation can be particularly debilitating. Surgery is typically not the first treatment doctors will prescribe for a herniated disc, instead starting with conservative approaches such as rest, medication, and rehabilitation.

However, if a patient does not experience pain relief through these treatments, surgery may be recommended. Lumbar disc microsurgery is a reliable and effective option for treating a herniated disc. It may also be administered to treat a complication of disc herniation called a lumbar disc rupture.

What to Expect During the Procedure

Lumbar disc microsurgery is a minimally invasive procedure. Doctors will administer general anesthesia before the surgery to prevent the patient from feeling pain. To access the herniated disc, the surgeon will make small incisions in the lower back using a laparoscope and tiny cameras that provide a clear, magnified view of the surgical site.

The surgeon will move muscle away from the site to access the spine and remove the herniated disc. It may be necessary to remove a piece of the facet joint, which connects vertebrae, or laminae, the bony arches of the spine, to complete the surgery. The surgeon will leave the remaining healthy portion of the vertebral disc intact to ensure support for the spine. The muscles are arranged back into their original placement and incisions are closed using sutures.

Lumbar Disc Microsurgery Risks

While lumbar disc microsurgery is considered a safe procedure, the potential for complications exists with any surgery. The likelihood of these risks is rare, but patients should be aware that the following complications may result from lumbar disc microsurgery:

Infection at the site of incision
Bleeding and blood clots
Nerve damage
Cerebrospinal fluid leakage
Postsurgical incontinence (uncontrollable urination)
Difficulty breathing
Adverse reactions to anesthesia or medication used before or after surgery

Lumbar Disc Microsurgery Recovery

Patients typically must stay in the clinic for a few days before going home following lumbar disc microsurgery. Pain after the procedure is not uncommon, and surgeons may prescribe medication to help patients handle post-surgical pain. However, patients should feel significantly less pain now that the cause has been rooted out.

To regain strength and range of motion, patients will undergo physical therapy during their recovery. Rehabilitation also helps prevent lower back pain from returning. Southlake Orthopaedics staffs a team of skilled physical and occupational therapists specializing in rehabilitating the back and neck.

Lumbar disc microsurgery recovery time will vary depending on the extent of the procedure and the patient’s health. Patients should gradually ease back into work and regular activities. For patients with physically demanding jobs, it will likely be longer before they can return to work.

Why Choose Southlake Orthopaedics for Lumbar Disc Microsurgery?

At Southlake Orthopaedics, patients find comprehensive orthopedic care, from diagnosis to treatment to recovery. The board-certified specialists are adept in multiple areas of orthopedics, including the various illnesses and injuries of the spine. Surgeons utilize minimally invasive techniques for more precision and shorter recovery times. Additionally, an in-house physical therapy department allows surgeons to partner with certified physical therapists to develop personalized rehabilitation plans for patients.

Find Advanced Surgical Care for Spine Conditions and Injuries at Southlake Orthopaedics

Patients with lumbar herniated discs and other spine conditions and injuries causing back pain find comprehensive care from board-certified physicians at Southlake Orthopaedics. The compassionate medical team features providers trained in every orthopedic specialty, allowing patients to receive personalized care from diagnosis to treatment to rehabilitation.

Southlake Orthopaedics treats patients at two locations in Hoover and Birmingham-Grandview, AL. Contact us today to learn more about lumbar disc microsurgery.

Lumbar Disc Microsurgery

Understanding Lumbar Disc Microsurgery, Risks and Recovery

Lumbar Disc Microsurgery in Birmingham and Hoover, Alabama

What Is Lumbar Disc Microsurgery?

Conditions That Can Be Treated With Lumbar Disc Microsurgery

What to Expect During the Procedure

Lumbar Disc Microsurgery Risks

Lumbar Disc Microsurgery Recovery

Why Choose Southlake Orthopaedics for Lumbar Disc Microsurgery?

Find Advanced Surgical Care for Spine Conditions and Injuries at Southlake Orthopaedics

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