It is a method without high risk, as iatrogenic tissue injury does not occur nor can it cause damage. The purpose of this treatment is to reduce the projection or otherwise the disc herniation and the release of the nerve structures in which mechanical pressure is exerted by the disc material.
When does the patient need to have a discectomy?
When the symptoms become unbearable and interfere with the patient’s functional daily life, then a definitive solution to the problem should be sought. Severe pain and difficulty walking are what signal that the patient should consult a specialist. Also, those patients who have not seen an improvement in pain after conventional treatments or physiotherapy should be referred to the solution of the discectomy.
The procedure of the operation
“During the operation, which is performed under local anesthesia, a thin needle is inserted into the intervertebral disc, either with the guidance of a special C arm X-ray machine or with the O arm (used in robotic surgery). “When the needle is placed in the patient’s disc, its nucleus is laser sublimated and the hernia disappears”, explains Mr. Antonios Androulis, Neurosurgeon, Director of the DG Neurosurgery Clinic of Metropolitan General.
The sublimation of the herniated disc material leads to a reduction in size and a reduction in intra-disc pressure, thus releasing the nerve roots and relieving the patient from pain. The pain is reduced immediately, while the operation lasts from 45 minutes to an hour. Most patients return to their daily routine immediately.
After surgery
Immediately after the end of the operation, the patients remain in the hospital for about 2 hours as a precaution for follow-up and are discharged on the same day. In addition, they will receive instructions with mild analgesic treatment and return to activity.
What are the advantages of Laser Discectomy?
• It lasts from 45-60 minutes and the hospitalization is short.
• Backache and sciatica subside immediately.
• Reflexes return after the end of the operation.
• The neurological symptoms disappear in two weeks.
• The patient can return to normal activities in 3-4 days.
• Aesthetic deficits return after about a week
• Has a high success rate.
• It is bloodless and does not require general anesthesia except local.
Writes:
Mr. Antonios Androulis, Neurosurgeon, Director of DG Neurosurgery Clinic of Metropolitan General.
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