Discectomy

Discectomy
Median sagittal section of two lumbar vertebrae and their ligaments. ("Intervertebral fibrocartilage", an old name for the intervertebral disc, labeled at center left.)
ICD-9-CM	80.51
MeSH	D017586
MedlinePlus	007250
[edit on Wikidata]

A discectomy (also called open discectomy, if done through a 1/2 inch or larger skin opening) is the surgical removal of abnormal disc material that presses on a

Endoscopic discectomy

Small or ultra-small endoscopic discectomy (called Nano Endoscopic Discectomy) does not have internal cutting or bone removal and, due to the small size, is not called "open". These procedures do not cause post-laminectomy syndrome (failed back syndrome).^[1][2]

Microdiscectomy

Microdiscectomy is a spine operation with a smaller incision than traditional discectomy, in which a portion of a herniated nucleus pulposus is removed by way of a surgical instrument, while using an external operating microscope for lighting and magnification. They may be "open", i.e., with a larger incision, or minimally invasive, i.e., with a 1.5 to 2.0 cm surgical incision.^[3][4]

Indications

Microdiscectomy may be a surgical option for patients with a single-level

Degeneration caused by years of repetitive mechanical stress can cause the disc of an athlete to be herniated. Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a critical injury for elite athletes that could cause extreme pain and significantly hinder performance. To relieve the pain, athletes usually go through microdiscectomy. However, the results of treatments in elite athletes differ due to the demand for optimal treatment, short recovery period, and high performance after the operation.^{[citation needed]}

Most athletes return to their pre-surgery level after a discectomy. A systematic review of 450 athletes shows that 75–100% of athletes return to play after surgery.^[5] The average recovery period ranged from 2.8 to 8.7 months. Athletes recovered an average of 64.4% to 103.6% of their preoperative performance and had reported career longevity of 2.6 to 4.8 years post-return.^[5] There are unsuccessful cases of discectomy for certain athletes like Tiger Woods, a world-famous PGA Tour golfer. Woods underwent three microdiscectomy procedures from 2014 to 2015 which failed to alleviate his pain.^[6] The removal of disc material due to discectomy meant that Woods eventually had to go through spinal fusion to recover.

In the US

In the U.S., it has been estimated that the

• Back pain
• Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion
• Lumbar disc herniation
• Degenerative disc disease
• List of surgeries by type

References