Most sciatica patients respond well to conservative treatments that include sciatica medications and physical therapy sessions for sciatica. Surgery is rarely necessary to treat the condition. Understandably, patients prefer to exhaust all available nonsurgical treatment options and avoid surgery at all costs.
The general rule is that patients discover how to manage their problem and keep symptoms under control in order to lead a normal daily life.
For example, someone who suffers from occasional bouts of sciatica pain might cope with their pain with a combination of initial rest, a steroid injection, followed by a careful exercise and stretching program.
Do I need surgery to treat my sciatica?
The following scenarios may be indicative that spinal surgery may be necessary:
-If you experience incontinence or lack of bowel control. It occurs rarely, but when it occurs it could be a compression of the spinal cord, a situation that should be resolved as soon as possible.
-You suffer from spinal stenosis, and your doctor believes that surgery is the best way to treat it.
-You begin to feel neurological disorders such as weakness in the leg.
-Your symptoms get worse and non-surgical treatments are not effective.
-Specialists believe that if your sciatica pain is severe and has not improved within 6 to 12 weeks, it is reasonable to consider spinal surgery.
Types of surgery
Depending on the cause and duration of pain, some of the following procedures are considered:
Discectomy or Microdiscectomy: In both procedures, the surgeon removes all or part of a herniated disc that is pressing on the sciatic nerve and causing the symptoms of sciatica.
The main difference between the two procedures is that a microdiscectomy is a minimally invasive surgery. The surgeon uses microscopic magnification to work through a small incision using very small instruments. Since the surgery is minimally invasive, recovery from a microdiscectomy is faster.
Laminectomy or Laminotomy: These two procedures involve a part of the vertebra called the lamina, a piece of bone that protects the spinal canal and spinal cord. A laminectomy involves removing the entire lamina: a laminotomy removes only part of the lamina. These procedures are done to give more room for the nerves, thus reducing the chance of the nerves being compressed or pinched.
At The London Spine Unit, we specialise in the treatment of Sciatica. Our operations are minimally invasive and we use revolutionary thechinques to allow this surgery to be performed as a daycase (walk in walk out same day) procedure.
You might also want to read: Dynamic Spine Stabilisation Surgery
Day case surgery
At the Harley Street Hospital, we are one of the few centres that perform sciatica surgery as day case. This provides multiple benefits:
-The surgery can be done with local anaesthesia. So you can go back home the same day!
-It is a minimally invasive procedure that uses advanced equipment.
-We apply special medications in order to relax the muscles to avoid muscle spasm and pain after the procedure.
-Diminished risk of complications such as deep venous thrombosis, infections on the ward, and other issues related to delayed mobilisation.
-Finally, the minimum risk of contracting COVID-19 thanks to a brief hospital stay and extreme precaution measures.
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What is the treatment for sciatica?
Most sciatica patients respond well to conservative treatments that include sciatica medications and physical therapy sessions for sciatica. Surgery is rarely necessary to treat the ailment. Understandably, patients prefer to exhaust all available nonsurgical treatment options and avoid surgery at all costs.
What is microdiscectomy and discectomy?
In both procedures, the surgeon removes all or part of a herniated disc that is pressing on the sciatic nerve and causing the symptoms of sciatica. The main difference between the two procedures is that a microdiscectomy is a minimally invasive surgery.
What is laminotomy and laminectomy?
These two procedures involve a part of the vertebra called the lamina, a piece of bone that protects the spinal canal and spinal cord. A laminectomy involves removing the entire lamina: a laminotomy removes only part of the lamina.