Lumbar Microdiscectomy

What it is and why we do it

A microdiscectomy is a small, focused operation to remove the fragment of a herniated disc that is pinching a nerve in your lower back. I recommend it for leg pain (sciatica) from a herniated disc that has not settled after a fair trial of non-surgical care, or sooner if there is meaningful weakness. It relieves the nerve without fusing the level — the kind of targeted, motion-preserving surgery I prefer.

What happens during surgery

Through a small incision in the low back, I gently move the muscle aside, make a small window to reach the nerve, and remove the piece of disc that is pressing on it. The rest of your disc and the moving parts of the spine are left in place. It is one of the most precise operations in spine surgery.

Your recovery

Most people go home the same day, and the leg pain is often dramatically better right away. Walking is encouraged immediately. Most return to light activity within one to two weeks and to fuller activity over about four to six weeks, depending on the demands of your job and your comfort.

Activity and restrictions

For the first few weeks, avoid heavy lifting, repeated bending, and twisting, which give the disc time to settle and lower the chance of a re-herniation. I will give you a graded plan to return to work, exercise, and sport.

The science — for the curious

A microdiscectomy reliably speeds relief of leg pain, and because it removes only the offending fragment, it preserves the motion of the level — it does not fuse anything. The main thing to know is that the same disc can occasionally herniate again; if it does, it does not mean anything was done wrong. This focused, non-destabilizing approach is exactly why I favor it over a fusion whenever the problem allows.

Learn more

OrthoInfo — Herniated Disk in the Lower Back: orthoinfo.aaos.org

OrthoInfo — Sciatica: orthoinfo.aaos.org

This handout is general education about this procedure and does not replace the specific plan, risks, and consent discussion we have together. Your own situation may differ — if anything here does not match what we talked about, what we talked about wins, so please ask me.