Slip Disc or Prolapsed Intervertebral Disc Prolapse :

i) 95% of slip discs can be treated without surgery.

ii) 3% of all slip disc can be treated by selective nerve root block injection.

iii) 2% of slip discs require surgery.

Symptoms of Slip Disc :

i) Numbness/tingling in leg or hand.

ii) Pain travelling down the leg or hand.

iii) Weakness in leg or hand .

iv) Difficulty in controlling urine or motion.

v) Localised back or neck pain.

Non surgical Treatment for Slip Disc :

1) Medicine : Analgesics with anti inflammatory and muscle relaxant for few days. Along with  neurovitamins ( Neuroleptics ) .

2) Physiotherapy : Interferential Therapy ( IFT ) or Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation ( TENS ) and laser therapy for first few days.

3) Exercises :  Spinal extension exercises and core strengthening exercises.

   Surgeries :

i) Patient who are not getting benefit of conservative management or whose neurology worsens during treatment

ii) Nowadays there multiple surgical options available like Microdiscectomy,

iii) Microendoscopic Discectomy and Endoscopic Discectomy.

1)MicroDiscectomy :

Microdiscectomy is a very common, if not the most common, surgery performed by spine surgeons. The operation consists of removing a portion of the intervertebral disc, the herniated or protruding portion that is compressing the traversing spinal nerve root.

Discectomy is surgery to remove lumbar (low back) herniated disc material that is pressing on a nerve root or the spinal cord. It tends to be done as microdiscectomy, which uses a special microscope to view the disc and nerves. This larger view allows the surgeon to use a smaller cut (incision).

2)Microendoscopic Discectomy :

It is a minimally invasive procedure performed through a tubular device and designed to relieve pain caused by herniated disc pressing on nerve roots. It is performed by technologically advanced and newer instruments to remove the prolapsed disc with very small incision, decrease dissection and decreased disruption of normal tissue. An incision of size 5 mm is made over the site of disc.

Because the incision is so small, there is negligible surgical trauma to normal tissue and muscles, negligible blood loss. Special retractors are placed in the incision. An endoscope, which is basically a tube with camera at the tip is placed inside the incision and we reach to the spine. Small amount of bone is removed and herniated disc is removed through that hole. Free nerve root is visualised through the endoscope.

Then endoscope and retractors are removed. Since the incision is so small some surgeon choose to put band aid over the wound. Usually the scar of surgery is not noticeable after a month time.

 3)Endoscopic Discectomy :

In a true sense stichless surgery. Thorough portals probes are inserted and 

 In more severe cases, your doctor may replace the disc with an artificial one or remove the disc and fuse your vertebrae together. This procedure, along with a laminectomy and spinal fusion, adds stability to your spinal column.