Endoscopic Discectomy of the Lumbar and Cervical Spine
What is an Endoscopic Discectomy?
Endoscopic discectomy, a common type of laminectomy, is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to remove damaged disc material that is causing pain in the lower back (lumbar) or neck (cervical).
Endoscopic discectomy is a modern technique that does not involve bone removal, muscle damage, or large skin incisions. Instead, our endoscopic discectomy involves the use of x-ray imaging and magnified video to guide an endoscopic probe into the herniated disc space.
What are the Advantages of an Endoscopic Discectomy?
Our Endoscopic Discectomy is a true minimally invasive spine surgery that include the following advantages:
- Minimally invasive
- Short recovery
- High success rate
- Preservation of spinal mobility
- Local anesthesia
- Minimal blood loss
- Same-day surgery with no hospitalization (outpatient procedure)
- Small incision and minimal scar tissue formation
What Conditions can an Endoscopic Discectomy Surgery Treat?
Lumbar Endoscopic Discectomy
- Disc Bulge
- Herniated Disc
- Disc Tear
- Radiculitis
- Radiculopathy
Cervical Endoscopic Discectomy
- Brachial Neuritis
- Cervical Disc Bulge
- Cervical Disc Tear
- Cervical Herniated Disc
How is an Endoscopic Discectomy Surgery Performed?
With our endoscopic discectomy procedure, the patient is brought to the operative room, and intravenous sedation is administered. Under local anesthesia, a small metal tube, the size of a pencil, is inserted into the troublesome lumbar spine area under x-ray fluoroscopy guidance. This tube serves as a passage for the surgical tools so that the patient’s muscles do not have to be torn or cut, as what happens in open discectomy.
Then, the annular tear, bulging disc, or herniated disc can be found easily with a tiny camera (endoscope) looking through the tube. Under the guidance of the x-ray fluoroscopy and magnified video, a large piece of the herniated disc is pulled out with a grasper. A small disc bulge or annular tear can be treated with a laser, which vaporizes disc material, kills pain nerves inside the disc, and hardens the disc to prevent further leakage of disc material to the surrounding nerves. Finally, the tube is removed and the incision is closed with a stitch or two.
Upon completion, the patient is encouraged to walk around and is free to leave the surgical center with a companion the same day.
Before surgical spine treatment is considered, we will exhaust conservative, non-surgical spine treatment options first. Our advanced diagnostic and pain mapping techniques enable us to ensure precise diagnosis, which is one of the most important factors towards effective treatment of your pain.
