Lumbar microdiscectomy is one of the most successful and commonly performed spine procedures. If you have a herniated disc in your lower back causing sciatica — pain, numbness, or weakness radiating down your leg — microdiscectomy removes the disc fragment compressing the nerve through a small, minimally invasive incision.
Microdiscectomy may be recommended if you have:
Most disc herniations resolve without surgery. Microdiscectomy is reserved for patients who have not improved with conservative care or who develop progressive neurological symptoms.
Through a small incision in the lower back, a small amount of bone and ligament is removed to access the disc herniation. The fragment compressing the nerve is removed, providing immediate relief of leg pain in most patients. The spine's structural integrity is maintained — no fusion or hardware is required.
