The primary purpose of a discectomy is to remove material that's protruding from a damaged spinal disc and irritating nearby nerves. It's ordinarily done to alleviate related discomfort from radiating nerve pain or irritation of the sciatic nerve if the lower back is where the problem disc is located. Below, we look at whether having this procedure when it's necessary may weaken your back.
Spinal Instability Is Possible (but Not the Norm)
On average, according to Intermountain Healthcare, painful spinal instability occurs in roughly 2 to 5 out of every 100 patients who have lumbar microdiscectomy procedures. However, this isn’t the norm. According to the journal Medicine, the success rate for this procedure ranges from 70 to 90 percent. Also, for many patients who reach the point where surgery becomes a possibility, the benefits of surgery often outweigh any potential risks, especially since nerve irritation can cause debilitating symptoms.
Surgeons Take Steps to Maintain Spinal Stability
It's becoming increasingly common for discectomies to be done with minimally invasive techniques. Surgery performed this way involves the use of specialized instruments and lighted scopes with attached cameras that improve visibility and accuracy. Also, surgeons typically make every effort to remove only as much disc material as necessary to relieve nerve-related issues.
If Weakening Does Occur, There May Be No Noticeable Discomfort
Even if a discectomy weakens the spine to some extent, there's not always noticeable discomfort as a result. Whether or not pain is experienced will depend on how the spine is affected. For instance, if the backbone weakens enough to cause the remaining disc material to shift, you may notice symptoms if there’s nerve irritation. This could also happen if a nearby disc is affected or displaced. However, it’s entirely possible to have some degree of spinal weakening and not experience related discomfort.
There Are Possible Solutions if Spinal Instability Does Occur
Should there be suspected weakening of your back following a microdiscectomy, image tests are typically performed to confirm if this is the case. If instability is confirmed, one possible solution is to fuse the affected area to restore stability. Another possibility is removing the remainder of the disc and inserting an artificial disc in its place.
Certain Steps Can Reduce the Risk of Spinal Weakening
A discectomy is only recommended if conservative treatments aren't effective. If a microdiscectomy is what ends up being the most appropriate option for your spinal condition, having the procedure done in the least invasive way possible may reduce the risk of spinal weakness. It can also be beneficial to use your surgery as an added incentive to boost your overall spinal health. This is something you can do by making an effort to:
• Regularly check and improve your posture
• Avoid overstraining your spine
• Incorporate healthy, nutrient-rich foods into your diet
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Get regular spine-friendly exercise
Issues such as long-term spinal strength and back surgery recovery time vary among individuals who have discectomies and may often depend on factors such as whether the patient has a large hole in the outer ring of the disc after surgery. If the hole in the disc is larger than a standard pencil eraser, the patient has a significant risk of experiencing a reherniation. In fact, patients with these larger holes have up to 5 times the risk of reherniation. These reherniations often require additional surgery or even a larger spinal fusion operation. Barricaid is a bone-anchored device shown to reduce reherniations by closing the hole in the disc after a discectomy, and 95 percent of Barricaid patients didn’t undergo a reoperation due to reherniation in a 2-year study timeframe. This treatment is done immediately following the microdiscectomy—during the same operation—and doesn’t require any additional incisions or time in the hospital.
If you have any questions about the Barricaid treatment or how to get access to Barricaid, you may ask your doctor or contact us at 844-288-7474.
For full benefit/risk information, please visit: https://www.barricaid.com/instructions.
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