Discectomy

Discectomy

Spinal disc herniation is a painful and debilitating condition that causes pain, numbness, and tingling in your neck, back, arms, or legs. At Pain Relief of Dayton in Centerville, Ohio, Rick Buenaventura, MD, has years of experience in treating spinal disc herniation with minimally invasive procedures like endoscopic discectomy. This highly effective surgical technique can remove herniated disc material that’s causing you pain so you can lead a healthy, active, pain-free lifestyle.

What is endoscopic discectomy?

Endoscopic discectomy is a minimally invasive alternative to traditional spine surgery. Once Dr. Buenaventura determines which disc in your spine is causing you pain, he can perform an endoscopic discectomy to remove the damaged portion of the disc.

Thanks to this revolutionary type of endoscopic surgery, Dr. Buenaventura can eliminate unhealthy disc material without removing any of your bones or muscles. The procedure takes about one hour and most patients can return home after two to three hours.

Conditions that often respond to discectomy include:

• Herniated disc
• Bulging disc
• Radiculitis (pinched nerve)
• Disc tear

If you’ve been experiencing low back pain, numbness and tingling in your arms or legs, or muscle weakness, talk to Dr. Buenaventura about your options. He can review your medical history, perform a physical examination, and use digital imaging to pinpoint the exact cause of your pain before it worsens.

How is endoscopic discectomy performed?

Endoscopic discectomy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that Dr. Buenaventura performs in an operating room. After administering intravenous (IV) sedation medication, he inserts a very small tube directly into your spine. This tiny tube allows easy passage for Dr. Buenaventura’s surgical tools, so he doesn’t have to remove any of your bone or muscle to reach your damaged disc.

Once he can see the damaged disc through the tube, Dr. Buenaventura uses video and X-ray fluoroscopy — a continuous X-ray imaging technique that produces real-time images of the inside of your body — to guide his surgical tools.

Next, Dr. Buenaventura removes the portion of the disc that’s been causing you pain.

Before closing your incision with no more than one or two stitches, Dr. Buenaventura gently cleans the area and removes the tiny tube from your body. Because endoscopic discectomies only require a small incision and result in less blood loss than traditional surgery, you can typically return to work in two to four weeks after your procedure.

To schedule an appointment please call (937) 395-1300.