Microdiscectomy for Treating Herniated Discs

In a microdiscectomy, a small part of the bone over the nerve root and/or disc material from under the nerve root is removed to relieve pressure on the root and allow it to heal, reducing pain. This surgery is used in cases when pain due to a disc herniation is intolerable and doesn’t get better from nonsurgical treatments (it takes about six to twelve weeks for a nerve root to heal from injury caused by the disc).

A microdiscectomy is generally performed on an outpatient basis, and patients return to a normal activity level relatively quickly following the procedure.