YOUR TREATMENT OPTIONS:
THEIR RISKS AND BENEFITS

What are the treatment options for a ruptured disc?
When is a MED procedure not an option?
When is a MED procedure recommended?
What are the risks of having surgery?
What factors influence your chances for success?
Making Your Decision
What do you do if you decide to have surgery?

Treatment Options

There are a number of treatment options for a ruptured lumbar disc, each accompanied by its own set of risks and benefits. The four basic approaches are:

1. Taking Time: For some patients, all that is required in order to heal and recover is time.
2. Taking Medication: For others, medication may reduce the inflammation or ease the pain in the affected area and thereby provide relief from their symptoms.
3. Using Physical Therapy: For some, physical measures such as physical therapy (or gentle exercise) may provide relief and aid in the recovery from a ruptured disc.
4. Having Surgery: For those patients whose ruptured disc is causing a "pinched" nerve, a MED procedure often is the recommended treatment.

When a MED Procedure is Not an Option

The severity of your symptoms (pain, weakness, lack of mobility) and your general health and physical condition will play an important part in determining when surgery is not an option for you. In general, surgery is not an option when:

1. your back and leg pain is not caused by a ruptured disc, or
2. you do not have leg symptoms,
3. there is a medical reason which prevents you from having surgery,
4. medication which reduces swelling or relieves pain would provide you with adequate relief,
5. physical measures would improve your condition.

When a MED Procedure is an Option

Lumber microdiscectomy is usually recommended only when specific conditions are met. In general, surgery is recommended when a ruptured disc is pinching a spinal nerve root(s) and you have:

1. leg pain which limits your normal daily activities, or
2. weakness in your leg(s) or feet, or
3. numbness in your extremities, or
4. impaired bowel and/or bladder function.

The Risks of Having Surgery

Some of the more common risks of having any surgery include excessive bleeding, infection, or a negative reaction to anesthesia. Certain unforeseen circumstances could even lead to death. Clinical experience and scientific calculation indicate that these risks are low, but surgery is still a human effort. You should feel free to ask any questions you have about your specific risk factors.

Since the MED procedure involves surgery in and around the spine, further nerve damage is a possibility.

In some cases, the nerve is already so damaged that the surgical procedure required to simply reach the nerve could be the "straw that breaks the camel’s back." The end result could be numbness, paralysis or a loss of bowel and bladder control. (However, deciding not to have surgery may have exactly the same consequences. Your decision should be based on a weighing of the risks of having surgery versus the risks of not having surgery.)

The Benefits of Having Surgery

You can think of surgery as the first step in the healing and recovery process. It can help relieve pressure on your spinal nerve(s) and, thereby, help relieve your pain. It also may help you begin the process of regaining some of the lost mobility in your extremities.

The MED Procedure and its Specific Benefits.

The MED procedure is an operation on the lumbar spine performed using a surgical endoscope and microsurgical techniques.

The MED procedure requires only a very small incision and will remove only that portion of your ruptured disc which is "pinching" one or more spinal nerve roots. The recovery time for this particular surgery is usually much less than is required for traditional lumbar surgery.

Your Chances for Success

Your level of healing will be determined by your age, your general health and the severity of the damage to your spinal nerve, as well as your attitude and your willingness to work at recovery.

Making Your Decision

When you consider your options, keep in mind the impact your condition has on your way of life and carefully weight the risks and benefits of having surgery against the risks and benefits of not having surgery. The decision is yours!

If You Decide to Have Surgery

Approach your surgery with a positive mental attitude and with full confidence that you have made the right decision. While the surgeon concentrates on finding and removing the cause of your pinched nerve, you must concentrate on the recovery process. Cooperate fully with your surgeon and focus on the improvements you will make in the future - not on the problems of the past.

Previous (When a Disc Ruptures)
Next (The Surgical Procedure)
Main Back & Spine Page