When can a herniated disc be operated on? | When does one need surgery for a herniated disc?

When can a herniated disc be operated on?

A “you can, but you don’t have to operate” situation is usually present in patients with herniated discs when there are no neurological deficits. This refers to patients who have no paralysis of body parts or organs such as the bladder or rectum. If the patients suffer from numbness in certain parts of the body, severe pain or muscle weakness without paralysis of body parts, surgery may be considered.

The same applies if a patient feels that his or her symptoms are an extremely high level of suffering. Nevertheless, an operation for a herniated disc does not always lead to the desired success. An operation often helps to relieve the symptoms, but does not guarantee freedom from symptoms. In such “you can, but you don’t have to operate” situations, a period of several months is sometimes set during which the affected person is initially treated conservatively. If there is no improvement by the end of this period, surgery may be considered again.

When does a herniated disc not require surgery?

A slipped disc can cause symptoms of varying severity. If those affected suffer from tingling or formication on arms or legs with symptom-free sections, surgery is usually not necessary. The same applies if the herniated disc only causes pain or a slight muscle weakness without serious paralysis.

In the cases mentioned, conservative treatment is indicated. In up to ninety percent of all patients with a herniated disc, conservative treatment leads to an alleviation of the symptoms.Pain-relieving medications, physiotherapy, warmth and targeted, gentle positioning measures are the pillars of conservative treatment of disc prolapse. Another possible case constellation in which surgery should not be performed is when a conservative therapy attempt has led to an improvement of the symptoms in the affected person.

In this case, it makes sense to continue the previous conservative treatment over a longer period of time. More information on the topic of medication for a herniated disc can be found here.