Lumbar Microdiskectomy

Indications

• Appropriate patient selection is an essential element when planning spine surgery to optimize patient outcome. The decision to pursue surgery is based on the history, physical examination, and radiographic findings. Radiographic evidence of a disk herniation in the absence of corresponding clinical signs or symptoms is insufficient to warrant operative intervention.

• Radiculopathy that is secondary to compression of neural structures by a herniated disk and unresponsive to a trial of conservative therapy is the primary indication for performing a lumbar microdiskectomy.

• Less common but more emergent indications include acute or progressive neurologic deterioration and cauda equina syndrome.