MICRODISCECTOMY

Course overview

LUMBAR DISC HERNIATIONS (LDH) ARE A RELATIVELY COMMON AND EARLY MANIFESTATION OF DEGENERATION OF THE LUMBAR SPINE. THE REPORTED INCIDENCE OF LDH IS 2%?~3% AND THE PREVALENCE IS AROUND 12%. PREVALENCE OF 4.8% AMONG MEN AND 2.5% AMONG WOMEN ABOVE 35 YEARS OF AGE. THE MOST COMMON SITE OF LDH IS AT L4–L5 AND/OR L5–S1. SURGERY FOR LDH ACCOUNTS FOR THE MOST COMMON INDICATION FOR PERFORMING SPINAL SURGERY. MICRODISCECTOMY, WITH ITS SMALLER INCISION, LESS TRAUMATIC APPROACH, AND BETTER VISUALIZATION OF THE OPERATIVE FIELD THAN STANDARD OPEN DISCECTOMY, IS CONSIDERED THE GOLD STANDARD FOR REMOVING MOST LUMBAR DISC HERNIATIONS. THIS ACTIVITY WILL REVIEW THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MICRODISCECTOMY.