Lumbar herniated disk

A lumbar herniated disk is the degenerative rupture of one of the articulations of the vertebral column. The vertebral disk is like a pad between the two vertebrae composed by a gelatinous nucleus and a fibrous annulus. After the fissure of the annulus, a part of the gelatinous nucleus could pass through the fissure: this is the definition of the herniated disk.

Most of the lumbar herniated disks are asymptomatic or are only expressed by back pain. Around 10% of cases present a nervous compression by the herniated disk in the vertebral canal. Consequently, the patient presents a radicular pain in the leg due to the inflammation of the nerve.

A herniated disk could be treated conservatively with antalgic and anti-inflammatory pills or a peri-nervous infiltration. All these conservative treatments have the goal to reduce the inflammation of the nerve. Such a conservative treatment is contraindicatory in case of motor deficit or urinary problems (cauda equina syndrome).

If the conservative treatment does not give any benefice, the surgical treatment is indicated. This is a nerve decompression resecting the herniated disk. No osteosynthetic material is necessary. The surgery lasts for 30 minutes under general anesthesia. Dr Robert realizes this surgery under microscopic view and trans-tubular approach to limit the muscular trauma. His surgical experience for lumbar herniated disk is more than 500 cases.

After a surgery of lumbar herniated disk, the patient follows one cycle of physiotherapy, and the convalescent period is 1 month long. Dr Robert proposes a follow-up of 3 months after such treatment.