Discectomy

Discectomy
Intervention
Median sagittal section of two lumbar vertebræ and their ligaments. ("Intervertebral fibrocartilage", an old name for the intervertebral disc, labeled at center left.)
ICD-9-CM	80.51
MeSH	D017586

A discectomy (also called open discectomy) is the surgical removal of herniated disc material that presses on a nerve root or the spinal cord. The procedure involves removing the central portion of an intervertebral disc, the nucleus pulposus, which causes pain by stressing the spinal cord or radiating nerves. The traditional open discectomy, or Love's technique, was published by Ross and Love in 1971. Advances in options have produced effective alternatives to traditional discectomy procedures (i.e. Microdiscectomy, Endoscopic Discectomy, and Laser Discectomy). In conjunction with the traditional discectomy, a laminectomy is often involved to permit access to the intervertebral disc. In this procedure, a small piece of bone (the lamina) is removed from the affected vertebra, allowing the surgeon to better see and access the area of disc herniation.

See also

• Back pain
• Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion
• Lumbar disc herniation
• Degenerative disc disease
• Failed back surgery
• Percutaneous discectomy

References

• Emmett JL, Love JG. Vesical dysfunction caused by protruded lumbar disk. J Urol. 1971 Jan;105(1):86–91. PMID: PMID: 5100876

External links

• Discectomy / Microdiscectomy — UCLA
• Microdiscectomy information for patients — Oxford Clinic
• Video of microdiscectomy from the surgeon's view (youtube)