How painful is it ?after lower back surgery for a herniated disk?

Moderatly Painful: Typical discectomy surgery is done through a small incision with careful dissection of the muscles on the back of the spine. Patients vary but usually this results in moderate surgical pain. Often, but not always, the nerve pain from the disc will improve quickly. There will be more back pain if a more extensive discectomy was required. Severe pain is concerning and should be evaluated.

Not awful: People with a really bad radiculopathy often wake up from surgery feeling better, happy to trade postoperative pain for the radicular pain. Patients typically go home same or next day with oral pain medications.