When to have surgery for sciatic pain?
Sciatic pain is a very common ailment seen in individuals of all ages. It occurs when a disk either bulges or slips out due to any reason and ends up in a position where it pinches the sciatic nerve. This results in pain and discomfort being rooted from the lower back leading down to the leg and could typically be described as a sort of “shooting pain”. The severity of sciatica may vary from person to person but in some cases which are deemed to be more extreme, sciatica surgery may be necessary.
Choose the best medical facility for spine treatment in Los Angeles: If you have been suffering from any sort of pain, be it sciatic pain or general spinal pain, contact South California Brain and Spine surgery. Dr Moksha Ranasinghe is the primary healthcare provider and has years of experience under her belt. You can contact them at (213)369-4583.
Instances requiring surgery may include:
- Spinal tumors
Spinal tumors are usually uncommon but could result in sciatic pain. An Abscess or growth forms on the spine which may result in a misalignment of a disk leading to the sciatic nerve being pinched.
- Cauda equina syndrome
The cauda equina is an extension of nerves continuing in the lumbar and sacral region. The Cauda equina is responsible for motor ability in the lower body. Cauda equina syndrome refers to these motor skills being compromised. This results in immediate surgery.
- Severe herniated disk
A herniated disk refers to the misalignment of a disk that is caused by a tear in a spinal disk which causes the inner disc nucleus to leak out of the outer rim of the disk causing a misalignment in the spine. If the herniation is severe, surgery may become necessary
- Pain prolongs for more than a certain time.
If sciatic pain occurs, non-surgical methods are prescribed initially which include medication and physiotherapy, but in the case that the pain doesn’t let up despite the treatment for more than 4 weeks, the option of surgery may be looked into by your doctor.
What to expect from the surgery?
Usually, there are two types of surgeries that you could expect in the case of extreme sciatic pain. Them being
- Microdiscectomy
- Lumbar Laminectomy
Microdiscectomy
A Microdiscectomy is a minor procedure that includes a minor incision being made to remove the fragment or fragments compromising the sciatic nerve that is being pinched. Everything is left untouched and undamaged. This is the most common surgery prescribed by doctors in the case of sciatic pain lasting longer than 4 weeks. Microdiscectomy is similar to percutaneous discectomy but cannot be confused to be the same.
Lumbar Laminectomy
Lumbar Laminectomy is a more major procedure. It involves the removal of the Lamina, which is the back portion of the spine. This is only done when the sciatic nerve is compromised to the point where motor skills such as movement and even bowel movement are compromised and sciatic pain is excessively unbearable.
Furthermore, the topic of sciatic pain is a sensitive one because, at the end of the day, this is our spine we’re talking about which houses one of the most components of the human body, the nervous system. Sciatica is common and should not be taken lightly as the symptoms may progress into it requiring more drastic forms of treatment. Hence the need for surgery. It is advised to always consult a professional when one is experiencing symptoms of sciatic pain.
