What is a Microdiscectomy
and How Does it Help?

The spongy discs that cushion the spine are susceptible to damage from injury or age-related wear and tear, and non-surgical treatments may not always provide relief. The Integrated Spine Institute can ease your back pain using a minimally invasive microdiscectomy in which the surgeon uses a small, less invasive incision than traditional back surgery.

Try the Integrated Spine Institute pain assessment tool to find out if a microdiscectomy could be right for you.

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Do I Need a Microdiscectomy?

A microdiscectomy is a procedure that removes damaged disc material that is pressing on nearby nerves or the spinal cord causing weakness and pain in the legs or back. Most disc damage is  caused by normal wear and tear or trauma such as a sudden result of pressure or activities that involve heavy-lifting.

There are many conditions or diagnosis’s than can benefit from a microdiscectomy, including:


A microdiscectomy uses a smaller incision so healing is faster. In fact, recovery can be easier than traditional open back surgeries. At the Integrated  Spine Institute, patients can undergo a microdiscectomy as an outpatient procedure, often returning home within a few hours.

If you think microdiscectomy is the right treatment for you, complete the treatment assessment below.

Am I A Candidate for Microdiscectomy?

Sometimes conservative treatments like injections, medication, and various therapies aren’t enough to alleviate disc-related back pain. If you find yourself in this position, a microdiscectomy could be right for you. 

Candidates for microdiscectomy procedures at the Integrated Spine Institute have been experiencing pain for over 6 weeks with no real results from conservative, non-surgical treatments. 

During a microdiscectomy, the surgeon makes a tiny incision, using a microscope or magnifying instrument to view the disc and nerves, and removes disc material so that it no longer irritates and compresses the nerve root. It may take weeks or months for the nerve root to fully heal and any numbness or weakness get better, however patients normally feel relief from pain almost immediately after a microdiscectomy surgery.

Compared to traditional open back surgeries, the experts at the Integrated Spine Institute prefer microdiscectomy procedures because there is: 

  • Less tissue damage
  • Smaller incisions
  • Less risk
  • Less time required 


If you have a damaged spinal disc and are experiencing pain, you don’t have to suffer. See if you’re a candidate for a microdiscectomy with our candidacy tool below. 

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