Herniated disc are nothing to scoff at and the pain they cause can be unbearable. Back surgery for herniated discs is one treatment option that many people turn to when they aren’t able to get relief from pain medications.
The idea of back surgery is a frightening one that many people have conflicting feelings about simply because they don’t have enough information about the procedure. Education about the surgery can take some of the fear out of the surgery, which is what the information here is designed to do.
Defining a Herniated Disc
The first thing that needs to be understood is the herniated disc. It is not unusual to hear of people who have the diagnosis but have no idea what it means. Discs are located in the spine and act as cushions that separate the bones in the spine. These cushions help prevent the bones from rubbing on each other during movement. These discs have a soft center known as the nucleus that is covered by the annulus.
If the annulus suffers a tear from an injury, age or simply being a weak disc, the inner nucleus leaks to the area of the annulus that has the tear and causes the disc to bulge, which is called a hernia. The end result is a herniated disc. This bulge is typically on the side of the disc that rests against the spine. This is where the nerves are located and why intense pain is associated with a herniated disc.
The pain is often felt any many other areas of the body in addition to the back. This is due to the spinal column having nerves that control many other body parts. For example, a herniated disc in the lower back can cause pain to be felt not only in the back area but also down into the legs.
The pain from herniated discs can become unbearable and actually cause disability. This is why many people turn to surgery to correct the herniated disc and live a normal life.
Back Surgery
Back surgery is sometimes an immediate need and other times an optional treatment when other treatments fail. There are usually only a few circumstances that require surgery as quickly as possible. The first is if the disc is causing loss of bowel and bladder control. The other sign that surgery is required immediately is a distinct weakness in the lower part of the body. If either of these two things occurs, a doctor must be consulted immediately.
These two incidents are the extreme cases of herniated discs and not the average person’s experience. This does not mean that surgery is not an option; it can be a pain-relieving option that allows people to get back to a sense of normalcy. There are two main types of back surgery that are performed for herniated discs. One removes the bulge from the disc and thus relieves the pressure on the nerve and the other one removes the entire damaged disc. Once the damaged disc is removed the bones from above and below the disc that are left with no cushion are fused together. This fusion prevents them from rubbing on each other during movement.
An important factor that must be taken into consideration is that there are no guarantees that the surgery will be successful and last forever. The actual success of these types of surgeries, as listed in the medical journal Spine, is around 16%. This is not a very high percentage for such an invasive surgery. In addition, there can be complications to this surgery that cause more back problems. One example of this is the added work the bones have to do when fusion is chosen. The remaining joints in the spine have to work harder due to the fused bone having limited movement. This in turn leads to other joints suffering and ultimately causing more pain.
If the bulge is removed, the complications tend to be scar tissue building up where the bulge was and the added problem of the disc being much weaker due to part of it being removed.
There are other surgeries that are being studied and in some cases used, even though they have not been completely perfected. Disc replacement is the most promising and is being performed by some of the more advanced surgeons in the field of herniated discs. This surgery may be the answer to herniated discs that will relieve the pain of thousands of people.
The bottom line is that back surgery for bulging discs is a personal decision that should be made in conjunction with the advice of a back specialist. The determining factor will ultimately be how much pain relief can be expected and how successful the doctor feels the surgery will be based on the extent of the hernia. Back surgery can be a good choice for many people, as long as they have researched it thoroughly and have an excellent surgeon.
