Picture the hole in the side of a jelly donut where the yummy insides ooze out a bit. That’s what happens when you get a herniated disc.
When a bit of the nucleus, or soft center, of your disc seeps through a tear outside its tougher outer shell — the annulus — your disc has slipped, or herniated. Next, nearby nerves and your spinal cord can get irritated, which causes arm and leg pain, numbness, and weakness in your affected arm or leg.
Who knew that a problem that starts in your spine could ultimately lead to stumbling, intense pain that curtails your activities, and even problems grasping things?
Fortunately the stellar team at Advanced Pain and Spine is well-versed in treating herniated discs, which can strike anywhere on your spine. Dr. Thomas Raley, Dr. Randy Davis, and Dr. Brian Lee approach your disc issues with the most advanced methods available, sophisticated medical technology, and of course, compassion.
Herniated disc pain can go from mild to agonizing instantly if you move the wrong way. It can also worsen when you do something as simple and uncontrollable as sneezing. You know already that this is no way to live — worrying about whether you’ll be thrown into distress if you open a jar or pull out a chair.
We’re excited to offer a minimally invasive, simple surgery that’s proving to be highly successful for our patients living with herniated discs: microdiscectomy.
Prior to your surgery, we do testing to determine the exact location of your herniated disc, and during your microdiscectomy, we make very small incisions right above it.
With this access, we clear away the errant disc matter using specialized surgical instruments, including a laser and a small microscope. We also scan for any other issues that can be addressed at that time and correct them, too. We conclude by closing the incisions with sutures and surgical glue.
There are many advantages that come along with this surgery, but here are our top five:
Since your scars are minute, they aren't as visible as a scar from a large incision. The fact that we use a combination of sutures and surgical glue to close your tiny incisions also lessens scarring.
The procedure requires general anesthesia, so you’re asleep during it. Microdiscectomy is also performed on an outpatient basis, so you can get home as soon as possible and enjoy post-surgery time in the comfort and familiarity of your own home.
When compared to its traditional surgical counterpart, discectomy, you run a lower risk of surgical and post-surgical complications with microdiscectomy.
Because microdiscectomy requires only small incisions as opposed to the large one that’s characteristic of open surgery, those who receive microdiscectomy patients lose less blood during their procedures and have a lower chance of post-surgery complications, such as infections.
After a microdiscectomy, you also require less narcotic pain medication, an important factor in the wake of the prescription pain medication crisis.
Other types of back surgery pose higher risks for muscle and tissue damage, which can exacerbate your pain down the road, rather than reduce it. This surgery has shown that throughout and after the procedure, muscles and tissue remain intact.
An overwhelming majority of patients who undergo microdiscectomy to alleviate their herniated disc problems experience great relief from pain after the repair — an impressive 90-95%. The procedure’s proven success, both in the larger medical community and within our own practice, has made microdiscectomy a top treatment for us here at Advanced Spine and Pain.
You don’t need to endure chronic pain that prevents you from living a normal life and doing the things you love any longer. Schedule a consultation with us to see if microdiscectomy is an option for you by calling one of our seven conveniently located Virginia and Maryland offices or requeating an appointment online.
