Bulging Disc Surgery

A bulging disc is a painful medical problem of the neck or back portion, manifested when an intervertebral disc bulges out abnormally. The disc is a soft material that serves as a cushion to the individual vertebrae. In case the bulging disc presses the adjacent nerve roots or spinal canal, then pain symptoms are evident. Bulging disc treatment options are taking adequate rest and other self care tips like, applying cold (or warm) compresses and massaging. Bulging disc surgery is considered by doctors to treat an affected disc that becomes herniated.

Bulging Disc Surgery: An Overview

In most of the reported cases, bulging disc symptoms are caused due to aging process. Thus, majority of the candidates for bulging disc surgery are elderly patients. Most people having this spine problem achieve prompt results with bulging disc exercises, medications and other conservative treatment approaches. In case of increased back pain intensity or radiation of pain to other body parts, the doctor may conduct imaging tests to diagnose the severity of bulging disc. Only about 10 percent patients require surgical procedure to treat bulging disc. The following information highlights on the several aspects of bulging disc surgery:

Options
For a candidate with severe bulging disc pain, the doctor will determine the appropriate surgery type. Open discectomy, or simply discectomy is the commonly conducted surgery for bulging disc. It involves removal of the disc material that is causing hernia to the nerve roots or spine. A less invasive option is the percutaneous discectomy, in which a special tool is used to remove the herniated disc material from the affected spine portion. Other alternatives of disc surgery are electrothermal disc decompression and endoscopic discectomy. While deciding the disc surgery method, the severity of the problem and overall health of the patient are taken into account.

Procedure
Most probably, the doctor may consider open discectomy or microdiscectomy for bulging disc treatment. Both the procedures require administration of general anesthesia. In discectomy, an incision is made in the affected area and the protruded disc material is removed. For some cases, the surgeon first takes out a section of lamina (bone) to get easy access to the bulged disc. In microdiscectomy, a small cut is made in the back and a special optical tool with additional equipment is inserted in the affected area. With reference to the magnified image, the surgeon is able to remove the disc material from the affected portion.

Recovery
Following discectomy, the candidate can resume to normal duties within the next 2-3 days. During the bulging disc surgery recovery time, every candidate is expected to follow the doctor's recommendations (medication, massaging, dressing) for quick healing of the cut site. Overall, the success rate for disc surgery is highly impressive and maximum candidates are able to perform their normal activities after the procedure. Nevertheless, one should take proper care to minimize the risk of recurrent bulging disc problems in future.

As far as bulging disc surgery cost is concerned, it may vary according to the location, procedure type and severity. On an average, it comes to about USD 6,000. Another common problem, called the herniated disc, requires herniated disc surgery for treatment. In contrary to bulging disc, it affects the fibrocartilage and symptoms appear suddenly. Whichever case it is, any spine related problem should be addressed as soon as possible. That way, the need for surgery is minimized and effectual treatment is done with conservative therapeutic intervention.