Percutaneous discectomy
Posted June, 2008
This technique has been around in various forms for some time. Only recently, though, has it been improved to minimize ancillary damage to tissue nearby that the doctor wants to remove to help relieve errant pressure on nerves.
The most advanced form of percutaneous discectomy developed to date is DISC Nucleoplasty®. Introduced in the year 2000, DISC Nucleoplasty uses a plasma-based technology that's called Coblation®. This system uses a precisely-controlled plasma field to ablate part of the nucleus of the damaged disk. The doctor employing Nucleoplasty can remove small amounts of tissue from the disc without damaging surrounding tissues.
It's this breakthrough that has most transformed the treatment of "bulging discs."
During the procedure, the doctor introduces the DISC Nucleoplasty SpineWand through a needle and places it into the center of the disc. The physician creates a series of small channels in order to remove tissue from the disc's nucleus. By ablating this tissue, the process decompresses the disc and relieves the pressure that's exerted by the herniated disc on the nearby nerve root. As the troublesome pressure on the nerve root goes away, the patient should feel less pain.
For properly-selected patients, this process is a big improvement over open surgical solutions. Typically the patient is able to return to normal activities and usually with few unintended effects. With the pressure now off the nerve roots, the patient usually experiences little or no pain compared to before the procedure. Also the small entry point of the needle heals very quickly (compared to the lengthy healing time of an open surgical incision).
Many patients find they can re-enter their lives free of the back and leg pain the herniated disc had been triggering.
If you've been diagnosed as having a herniated disk, and are contemplating an open surgical procedure to relieve your pain, consider this less-invasive procedure instead.