What is Cervical Microdiscectomy?
Your spine consists of 24 bones called vertebrae that are arranged one above the other and separated by intervertebral discs which act as shock absorbers during activity. Your neck or cervical area is made up of seven of these vertebrae. The intervertebral discs consist of 2 parts, namely annulus fibrosus (outer flexible ring) and nucleus pulposus (central soft jelly-like region). The discs can be damaged due to wear and tear or a sudden injury to the spine and is termed as a herniated disc. In this condition, the nucleus of the disc pushes against the outer annulus fibrosus and pinches the cervical nerves of the spinal cord that pass through these bones, causing pain in the arm. Cervical microdiscectomy is a surgical procedure performed to treat herniated discs in the cervical region.
How is the Procedure Performed?
The surgery is performed under general anesthesia. During the surgery, you will be lying on your stomach. An X-ray is taken to determine the exact location of the herniated disc. The back of your neck is cleaned and a small incision is made. The muscles are carefully separated to gain access to the damaged disc. A part of your spinal lamina and facet joint (bony prominences of the vertebrae) are removed to expose the nerve root. Your doctor then uses a microscope to view the herniated disc under the compressed nerve and excises the herniated region of the disc. The muscles are released and the incision is stitched closed.
After the surgery, you may be able to return home on the same day. You can gradually start daily activities and can return to work 1 to 2 weeks after the surgery. Your wound area should always be kept clean and dry until it heals.
What are the Associated Risks and Complications of Cervical Microdiscectomy?
One of the major risks of cervical microdiscectomy is the possibility of recurrence of the herniated disc. There is also a risk that the remaining portion of the disc may collapse and compress the spinal nerves. The other possible risks of this procedure include damage of the nerve root or spinal cord, unresolved pain, infection or bleeding.
Related Topics:
Surgical Techniques
- Surgical Treatment for Spine Conditions
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Endoscopic Spine Surgery
- Microscopic Spine Surgery
- Outpatient Spine Surgery
- Revision Spinal Surgery
- Robotic Spine Surgery
- Computer-Assisted Spine Surgery
- Image-Guided Spine Surgery
- Spinal Instrumentation
- Neck Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Lumbar Surgery
- Complex Spinal Reconstruction
- Spine Surgery in Athletes
- Thoracic Spine Revision Surgery
- Complications of Spinal Surgery
Non-Surgical Options
Activity and Diet
Medications, Therapy, and Bracing
- Spine Medications
- Physical therapy for the Spine
- Spinal Manipulation
- Cervical Bracing
- Lumbar Spinal Bracing
Injections and blocks
- Spine Injections
- Spinal Nerve Blocks
- Epidural Steroid Injections
- Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection
- Facet Injections
- Cervical Injections
- Cervical Facet Blocks
- Cervical Epidurals
- Medial Branch Block Injections
- Lumbar Injections
- Lumbar Epidurals
- Lumbar Facet Block
- Lumbar Sympathetic Block
- Thoracic Facet Joint Injection
- Costo-vertebral Joint Injection
- Piriformis Muscle Injection
- Caudal Epidural Injection
Spinal Cord Stimulator
Radiofrequency Ablation
Nerve Release/Decompression
- Spinal Decompression
- Laminectomy
- Cervical/Lumbar Traction
- Cervical Laminectomy
- Cervical Foraminotomy
- Posterior Cervical Microforaminotomy/Discectomy
- Posterior Cervical Decompression
- Posterior Cervical Foraminotomy
- Cervical Laminoplasty
- Lumbar Decompression
- Lumbar Microdecompression
- Lumbar Laminectomy
- Lumbar Facetectomy and Foraminotomy
- Thoracic Spine Decompression
- Thoracic Laminectomy
- Thoracic Facetectomy
Discectomy
- Microdiscectomy
- Disc Replacement
- Minimally Invasive Discectomy and Decompression
- Minimally Invasive Cervical Discectomy
- Cervical Microdiscectomy
- Cervical Disc Replacement
- Lumbar Endoscopic Discectomy
- Minimally Invasive Lumbar Discectomy
- Lumbar Artificial Disc Replacement
- Thoracic Discectomy
Fusion Procedures
Cervical
- Cervical Spine Fusion
- Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion
- Anterior Cervical Corpectomy and Fusion
- Posterior Cervical Fusion
- Multilevel Posterior Cervical Laminectomy and Fusion
- Occipital Cervical Fusion
Thoracic
Lumbar
- Lumbar Fusion Procedures
- Minimally Invasive Lumbar Fusion
- Lumbar Interbody Fusion
- Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion
- Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion
- Posterolateral Lumbar Fusion
- Lumbar Corpectomy and Fusion
- Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion
- Minimally Invasive TLIF
- Anterior Lumbar Corpectomy and Fusion
SI Joint
Deformity Correction
- Scoliosis Treatment
- Spine Deformity Surgery
- Posterior Scoliosis Surgery
- Adult Scoliosis Correction
- Scoliosis Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Scoliosis Surgery
- Anterior and Posterior Scoliosis Correction
- Spine Osteotomy
Trauma/Fractures/Instability
- Vertebroplasty
- Kyphoplasty
- Fracture Stabilization
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery for Spondylolisthesis
- Thoracic Spine Trauma Surgery
- Sacroplasty
Tumor
- Spinal Biopsy
- Spinal Tumor Surgery
- Thoracic Tumor Surgery (Intradural and Extradural)
- Thoracic Vertebrectomy