If you have been diagnosed with a torn disc and are considering surgery after fully exploring conservative treatment without finding relief, you may want to consider the surgical options offered at USA Spine Care. Traditional open spine surgery has many risks and difficulties associated with it, including large muscle-tearing incisions, overnight hospitalization and a long, sometimes painful, recovery period.

By using muscle-sparing techniques like a less than 1-inch incision, our board-certified surgeons⁺ perform procedures on an outpatient basis, which offer a reduced risk of complication compared to traditional open spine surgery. Here is an overview of the procedures we offer that can treat a torn disc.

Discectomy

At USA Spine Care, our minimally invasive discectomy involves the removal of part of a damaged spinal disc. Because each disc is composed of a tough outer shell and a softer inner core, a tear in the shell can allow the gel-like central material to leak into the outer areas of the spinal column. If displaced disc material places pressure on a neighboring nerve root or the spinal cord, it can cause symptoms. Our surgeons can remove the damaged portion of a disc, decompressing the nerve.

Laminotomy

In some cases, removing a portion of a lamina — a bony vertebral roof — can relieve the pressure placed on spinal components by the inner core of a torn disc. USA Spine Care’s treatment option is called a laminotomy (total removal of the lamina is called a laminectomy). By taking out this part of a vertebra, other spinal elements like nerve roots and the spinal cord are allowed more room and can relieve the compression caused by the damaged disc.

Foraminotomy

Nerve roots run through openings between the vertebrae that are known as foramina. In instances of nerve root compression, our surgeons can widen those holes to provide extra space for the affected nerve root and relieve compression. This surgery, as well as the other procedures mentioned above, may be performed in conjunction with facet thermal ablation, or the deadening of a painful nerve ending within a spinal joint.

Minimally invasive stabilization

When a torn disc is severely damaged and no longer able to support its spinal segment, USA Spine Care may recommend a minimally invasive stabilization procedure during which we remove the damaged disc and use bone grafts and implants to fuse the spinal segment together. These outpatient procedures are an alternative to traditional open spinal fusion surgery.

If you’d like to learn more about the treatment options that USA Spine Care offers for torn disc patients, contact us today. Our dedicated team can review your MRI at no cost to help determine if you’re a potential candidate for our surgical procedures.

Browse Related Resources