Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Discectomy

Minimally invasive endoscopic discectomy repairs herniated disc and relieves associated pain. If you are experiencing pain or unusual sensations and believe you may have a herniated disc, a spinal surgeon can help you determine what the best course of treatment is.

Printable MEND info sheet
Printable Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Neurotomy info sheet

Herniated Discs

A herniated disc is somewhat of a misnomer, since the disc itself does not itself slip but rather the nucleus tissue is forced out of its position in the center of the disc by pressure in the spine, and can rupture on the spinal nerves and press on the nerve roots. This can be extremely painful.

Many people who visit a spinal surgeon have been experiencing pain for a while and have tried many approaches to relieve symptoms. A ruptured disc can cause numerous symptoms, ranging from uncomfortable to disabling, including but not limited to:

• pain in the lower back, legs, buttocks, groin or feet

• weakness

• numbness and loss of sensation

• tingling

Treatments for Herniated Discs

Until recently, herniated spinal discs could only be treated with traditional open surgery. In fact, herniated disc surgery was considered a very serious procedure with significant impact on surrounding bone, muscles and other tissues, and requiring the use of general anesthesia.

Now, through medical advancements, surgeons can use the same endoscopic procedures typically used during knee surgeries to repair and relieve pressure on damaged discs without traditional open surgery. This technique is sometimes referred to as the non-traumatic approach to lumbar disc decompression.

The outpatient endoscopy procedure provides a less invasive repair using visual imaging technology, including x-ray and magnified videography.

A tiny endoscopic probe is inserted through a small incision near the spine, and micro-tools are inserted through another tubular device to push the disc back into place, relieving the pain and pressure.

Procedure Benefits

Some of the benefits of the minimally invasive endoscopic discectomy include:

• local anesthesia injection

• no need for stitches

• no large incision

• no muscle dissection

• no bone fusion or bone removal

• disc structure remains intact

• outpatient procedure

• lowered risk of complications, like infection, scarring, loss of blood, or anesthesia reaction

• short recovery time of less than a week

• high rate of successful surgery

Consult an Experienced Spinal Surgeon

Your spinal doctor will be able to take a detailed health history from you and examine your medical records and imaging results when determining whether the minimally invasive endoscopic discectomy procedure is right for you.

They will consider how your pain has responded to more conservative treatments, such as pain medication, physical therapy, and supplements.

Your spinal surgeon will also evaluate whether you have any complicating factors that would make a traditional open surgery more appropriate – such as significant arthritis or bone spurs growths. This can be determined through imaging tests, such as a CT scan, MRI, and x-rays.

For a full evaluation, contact us Elite Spine & Orthopedics at (855) 77-SPINE.