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Treatment Options

Treatment Options
State-of-the-art pain management and physical rehabilitation to get you back in the game.

Minimally Invasive Discectomy

When your doctor diagnoses you with a herniated disc, you may become a candidate for a minimally invasive discectomy at the Florida Hospital Celebration Health Spine Center.

When a disc herniates, it means a fragment of the normal spinal disc has dislodged and is either pressing against the spinal cord or the surrounding nerves. This pressure can cause weakness, pain, tingling, and numbness.

In the past, surgeons had to use an open discectomy procedure to access the disc. But, new minimally invasive techniques in place at the Spine Center will offer patients tremendous relief from herniated discs with greatly reduced pain, faster recovery times, and fewer complications.

What are the symptoms of a herniated disc?

When the spinal nerves or cord become compressed, they may send abnormal signals or not send any signals at all. This can cause the classic symptoms of a herniated disc.

Symptoms incIude:

  • Abnormal sensations, often described as electric shocks. These shocks go down the arms when the compression is in the neck region and down your legs if it is in the lumbar or lower back region.
  • A feeling of tingling or numbness, often in the same locations as the electric shocks above
  • Muscle weakness caused by an interruption of signals from irritated nerves
  • Bowel or bladder issues, a sign of cauda equina syndrome; if you experience this, it is considered a medical emergency. You should see your doctor immediately if you have problems urinating, having bowel movements, or sudden numbness in your genital region.

What does a minimally invasive discectomy entail?

In a minimally invasive discectomy, the surgeon will use a set of special instruments and video imaging to remove the herniated disc through small incisions. Using these tools, the surgeon is able to locate the herniated disc fragment and remove it without making a large incision, as in a traditional open discectomy. Since the procedure doesn’t require general anesthesia and less tissue needs to be dissected, you can return to your normal routine quicker, with less pain, and a reduced recovery window.

Surgeons at the Florida Hospital Celebration Health Spine Center will be more than happy to review your options with you and answer all your questions about a minimally invasive discectomy and how it can alleviate your herniated disc pain.