Discectomy Los Angeles

Discectomy

When one the discs spaced between the vertebrae of the spine ruptures, it slips partly out from between the vertebrae and can compress or pinch a nerve. Our discectomy in Los Angeles surgically removes the damaged portion of the disc to relieve the irritation or pressure on the nerves.

Are you a candidate for discectomy?

A discectomy produces excellent results for conditions in which pain that travels down the arms or legs. Achieve Brain & Spine specializes in treating patients with neurological or spine conditions and we are highly skilled in performing an accurate diagnosis and establishing a treatment plan that produces relief from pain.

It may be that your symptoms can be resolved without surgery. Primary candidates have presented one or more of the following:

Trouble standing or walking or sitting due to weak nerves.
Radiating pain that travels into your legs, arms, chest or buttocks and interferes with normal activity or quality of life.
Earlier non-surgical treatments like physical therapy, steroids, medications, etc. did not improve symptoms after three months or so.

What is the discectomy procedure like?

There are a several ways to perform our discectomy in Santa Monica. At Achieve Brain & Spine, our spine specialists perform a cutting-edge, minimally invasive surgery, with smaller incisions through which a microscope will provide magnified, binocular vision of the nerves and disks with superior depth perception. With the smaller incision, there is less trauma and pain, and the faster the healing process. Most patients are able to go home the same day and return to work and activities in a few weeks.

You will receive pre-op preparation instructions which may include modifying the medications you take.
You will be under general anesthesia and unconscious for the entire procedure.
The small fragment of the disc that is pinching the nerve is removed. Small amounts of spinal bone and ligament may be removed to gain access to the disc.
Your surgeon will know in advance by evaluating X-rays or MRI images if the entire disc must be removed. If this is the case, there are additional steps that must be done culminating in fusing two adjoining vertebrae. This additional process will extend the length of surgery.

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Discectomy recovery

Your recovery begins the moment your surgery is over. The Achieve Brain & Spine healthcare team works in careful coordination with your surgeon to ensure you provided with all you need to heal quickly. Depending upon what your general health is and how extensive the surgery was, you usually go home the same day.

When you will be able to return to work can range from two weeks to 6 weeks and depends upon:

Any previous medical conditions that require monitoring.
How physically involved your job is, especially with regard to bending, lifting, and sitting.
Whether you had additional procedures such as disc fusion.

Is a discectomy a permanent cure?

Although disc herniation surgery in Los Angeles is effective in relieving compressed nerves and can resolve pain, it does not address the reason the disc herniated in the first place. The set of conditions that brought this about may have been created by a variety of lifestyle practices.

Even if the disc has been removed and the vertebrae fused, other discs may rupture if changes are not made. You avoid this, your doctor may recommend several changes:

Weight loss.
Decreasing sedentary, inactive periods.
Nutritional changes that help fortify the body, slow degeneration processes, and regenerate tissue, cartilage, muscle and ligaments.
Follow a low-impact exercise plan to restore and maintain flexibility.

Why choose Achieve Brain & Spine specialists?

In a word: results. We don’t have a “cut first and ask questions later” approach. We know that every person who walks through our door is unique both physically and in temperament. We provide complete access to our surgeons who take the time get to know you and will listen carefully to all of your concerns. What resolves your condition may be a non-surgical treatment. Our services are progressive, and we are skilled in all the most advanced regenerative and surgical practices available today.

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