A member asked:

I have to have surgery on a ruptured disk in my lower back. any advice on types available?

4 doctors weighed in across 2 answers

Depend: Microdiscectomies (laminotomy) are performed to relieve radicular pain of an arm or leg. If your pain is "not bad" then i would recommend that you see your doctor and discuss treatment options such as oral steroids, nsaids, exercises, & possibly an epidural steroid injection series. Unless you bowel/bladder symptoms, surgery should be your last option.

Answered 4/12/2014

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Think more of who: You want as surgeon (orthopedic spine or neurosurgeon) you have failed 12 weeks of nonop care & leg pain is worse than back pain& MRI reveals nerve is compressed by disc herniation. You want a surgeon who does this routinely with good outcomes. If you are a smoker, all bets are off. The standard surgery is a microdisectomy but there are other types all with the same success rate on average.

Answered 6/10/2014

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