Lumbar Microdiscectomy
This document will give you information about a lumbar
microdiscectomy. If you have any questions, you should ask your GP
or other relevant health professional.
What is sciatica?
Sciatica is pain down your leg caused by pressure on a nerve
where it leaves your spine. This can happen if a disc in your spine
becomes worn and develops a bulge (a 'slipped disc') (see figure
1).
Figure 1 - A disc bulge pressing on one of the nerves where it
leaves the spine.
What are the benefits of surgery?
You should recover more quickly from your sciatica. You may also
be less likely to get sciatica again.
Are there any alternatives to lumbar microdiscectomy?
Most people get better in time without any surgery. Treatment
involves painkillers and rest, followed by an exercise programme.
If you have a lot of pain, you can also have a steroid injection in
your spine.
There are relatively new procedures that use lasers or heat
treatment.
What does the operation involve?
A variety of anaesthetic techniques are possible. The operation
usually takes between half an hour and an hour.
Your surgeon will make a cut in the centre of your lower back.
They will part the muscles and remove a small amount of ligament
and sometimes bone to get to the disc.
Your surgeon will remove the piece of disc that is pressing on
the nerve. Your surgeon will usually perform the operation using a
microscope so that the cut they need to make is smaller, and to
reduce the amount of muscle they need to part.
What complications can happen?
1 General complications of any operation
- Pain
- Bleeding
- Infection in the surgical wound
- Unsightly scarring
- Blood clots
- Difficulty passing urine
2 Specific complications of this operation
- Continued pain or numbness down your leg
- Numbness between your legs, loss of normal bowel and bladder
control and, in men, problems with having an erection
- Infection of the intervertebral disc
- Tear of the thin membrane that covers the nerves in your
spine
How soon will I recover?
You should be able to go home the following day.
It is best not to do any heavy lifting after you have had back
surgery, even if that is what your job involves.
Regular exercise should help you to return to normal activities
as soon as possible. Before you start exercising, you should ask a
member of the healthcare team or your GP for advice.
Most people make a good recovery from surgery and are able to
return to normal activities.
Summary
The common cause of sciatica is a bulge of one of the discs in
your spine that presses on a nerve in your lower back. If the pain
does not settle on its own, your surgeon can perform a lumbar
microdiscectomy to treat the pressure on the nerve.
Acknowledgements
Author: Mr Stephen Milner DM FRCS (Tr. & Orth.) and Miss
Maria Cartmill FRCS (Neuro. Surg.)
Illustrations: Mr Stephen Milner DM FRCS (Tr. &
Orth.)
This document is intended for information purposes only and
should not replace advice that your relevant health professional
would give you.
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Limited
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