Sciatica – Surgical Options

Transcript

If the sciatica is caused by a disc herniation, then a procedure called a microdiscectomy can effectively remove the herniated portion of the disc and get rid of the pressure that’s on the nerve and resolve the sciatica symptoms. If the sciatica is caused by spinal stenosis, which means a tightening of the space that’s around the nerves, then a lumbar microdecompression might be the thing that’s necessary. Occasionally sciatica is caused by a spondylothesis, which means a slippage between the vertebrae that cause a pinching of the nerve as the nerve is trying to exit the spine. And in that case, a stabilization surgery involving a fusion might be helpful in order to realign the spine and take the pressure off the nerve and reduce or eliminate the sciatica symptoms.