A minimally invasive microdiscectomy is a procedure to remove herniated disc material that presses on nerves or the spinal cord causing pain and weakness in the patient. Many ruptured discs may be resolved on their own, non-surgically, so that microdiscectomy is not necessary.
The surgeon uses small instruments to go under the nerve root and remove the fragments of disc material that have extruded out of the disc. The muscles are moved back into place. The surgical incision is closed and steri-strips are placed over the incision to help hold the skin in place to heal.
Recovery starts with you. To get moving as quickly as possible, start with self-care. Focus on rest, medication, and sleep. From there, exercise and physical therapy can improve recovery. The timeframe for a full recovery from microdiscectomy is about 12 weeks.
Compared with other surgeries, the pain a patient might experience from a microdiscectomy is mild to moderate. Pain from the surgery typically subsides within one to two weeks. Oftentimes, Tylenol can be used to manage the pain, however, sometimes a small Vicodin prescription is given to get through the first few days.
