Faq

Disc  herniation: 80% of adult population suffered once in life  lombalgia and/or lombosciatalgia, with a strong limitation of daily and working activities. 35% is due to a disc herniation, 40% to a arthritic spine degeneration, 25% both of them.  The disc herniation is the exile of intervertebral disc nuclear material trought an annulus defect, determinating a tipical pain on the nerve root course, caused by an inflammatory reaction of the nerve root itself. The average age is 40yrs old.
The dyagnosis is made after a clinical and radiological (MRI/CT, X-rays and emg) evaluation.

Treatment
Conservative treatment (phisical therapy, FANS, corticosteroid drugs), indicated at the beginning of the pathology (4-6 weeks).

Surgical treatment: discectomy (open technique), mininvasive surgery: microdiscectomy, endoscopic  discectomy, foraminotomy;  percutaneous technique: laser  discectomy

Laser discectomy, technique
The percutaneous laser decompression is a surgical procedure used for the treatment of disc herniation since ten yrs ago;  The procedure is based on a reduction of disc volume by the insertion of a needle in the intervertebral disc, a closed hydraulic space, resulting in a great fall of pressure. Because water is the major component of the intervertebral disc, and in disc herniation pain is caused by the disc protrusion pressing against the nerve root, by vaporizing and shrinking the nucleus polposus, the result is an immediate decompression on the nerve root. Histologic studies showed a fibrocartilage replacement after laser in the disc from the inner layer of the annulus by 3 weeks, returning to normal disc composition after 3 months;
No adverse effects and secondary changes on the intervertebral discs and adjacent vertebral bodies after laser irradiation on MRI and histologic examination were found, demonstrating no any damage to the spine after this procedure.

Advantages
Percutaneous technique (no surgical incision)
Reduction of complications  (infection, scar entrapment,recurrent disc, iatrogenic instability, bleeding..)
No general anesthesia
Day surgery procedure
High rate of success (80-90%)
Early and fast return to normal activities  without bracing or physical therapies.

At the moment, percutaneous laser discectomy, world wide performed on 60000 patients with a success rate of 90%, represents a great deal in the treatment of disc herniation with a great satisfation's patient and compliance.