Herniated disc?!
Question:
Herniated disc?
Does anyone know how risky the procedure to repair or remove a herniated disc is?
Answers:
Usually the herniated disc can not be repaired and we do bone fusion...joining the vertebrae together. This does limit motility a bit (depends on location) but the risks are very small. We use a general anesthetic with a muscle relaxant and the whole procedure can be finished in less than an hour. If you think of the disc like a very thick jello, it is a shock absorber on the spinal column and protects you from the effects of jumping and shock waves up the spinal column. You won't feel the pain of the removal of the disc but you will have some muscle pain after surgery. A few non-surgical treatments have been back-braces and analgesics but neither will help much.