Back pain is caused by injury, inherited spinal conditions such as narrow spinal column in the back bone, bad posture over an extended period of time and natural degeneration of the vertebrae that make up the spinal column or problems with the discs that cushion the vertebrae from each other. Sometimes one or more discs may become herniated and a part of it gets dislodged and begins to press on a nerve causing a lot of pain.

This condition can be treated through a Discectomy, which is the surgical removal of the fragmented part of the disc in the spinal column releasing the pressure on the spinal chord or the nerves the disk is pressing against. The procedure may also be called an ‘Open Discectomy’.

The surgeon makes a small incision over the affected part of the spine and observes the herniated disc. This procedure is performed after putting the patient under general anesthesia with the patient lying on their stomach, as the disc must be accessed from the back. The procedure may take as little as an hour but this time depends on the condition of the herniated disc and the age of the patient.

The surgeon begins by making a small three centimeter (one inch) incision near the affected area. Then he or she may remove a part of bone from one of the vertebra, in order to get better access to the disc. This procedure is known as a ‘laminotomy’. If the whole lamina is removed it is called a “laminectomy”. Discectomy will follow once the part of the spine to be treated is exposed.

When laminotomy is complete, the surgeon proceeds to expose and protect the nerves in the spine. This is a very careful procedure as a lot of damage can be done should a single nerve be damaged in the process. After this the surgeon proceeds to identify and remove the fragmented disk that is pressing down on the part of the nerves causing back pain. During the Discectomy the surgeon will decide if any additional disc fragments need to be removed to prevent future problems.

It is not unusual for patients to awake after surgery to find that their back pain or leg pains have completely disappeared. However, it may take a few weeks for some patients to completely recover from the surgery. If your work involves physical labor then it may be up to 8 weeks before you can go back to work. If you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, it may be uncomfortable to sit for more than 30 minutes after the surgery, and you will probably need to get up and walk around.

Walking is generally a good exercise post surgery, and gradually building up to non-impact things like swimming and biking after a few weeks.