The surgery of the herniated disc is done under general anesthesia. It lasts between 1 hour and 1.5 hours and requires 1 to 4 days of hospitalization.
The patient is placed on a special Z-shaped surgical table. He will lie on his stomach.
A skin incision of 4 to 5 cm is made in the middle of the back. The neurosurgeon will then proceed to the removal of the muscles located in the herniated disc. This allows him to reach the space located between the two vertebrae (inter-laminal).
Once this space is opened, the herniated disc and the compressed nerve root are finally visible. The surgeon then checks that the nerve root is free. Using special forceps, he removes the herniated disc. A large part of the disc is also removed to minimize the risk of postoperative recurrence. The incision is finally closed with staples or separate stitches.