Lumbar microsdiscectomy is a surgical treatment for the lumbar spine (lower back). The discs are the shock absorbing cushions in between each of the lumbar vertebrae. Discs can become injured or worn resulting in a herniation. Sometimes, this is referred to this as a slipped or ruptured disc. When the damaged disc puts pressure on the spinal nerve. This pressure on the nerve may cause pain, numbness and/or weakness in the leg. This is sometimes called sciatica. Sciatica is usually felt as a sharp, shooting pain through the buttock, down the back of the leg and into the foot.
During a lumbar microdiscectomy, a surgeon makes a 1-2 inch incision and uses a microscope or loupes along with microsurgical techniques to remove the part of the disc that is putting pressure on the spinal nerve. This minimally invasive technique spares the bones, muscles, ligaments and surrounding soft tissue from trauma making recovery easier and faster.