Micro Discectomy (laparoscopic)

Micro discectomy is one of the most commonly performed and highly successful minimally invasive spine surgeries at Moolchand Hospital, one of the best neurosurgery and orthopaedic hospitals in Delhi. It is the gold standard surgical treatment for lumbar disc herniation (slipped disc) causing radiculopathy — the constellation of symptoms caused by compression of a spinal nerve root, including severe radiating leg pain (sciatica), numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness in the distribution of the affected nerve.

Lumbar disc herniation occurs when the soft nucleus pulposus of an intervertebral disc protrudes or extrudes through a tear in the annulus fibrosus (outer disc wall), impinging on the adjacent nerve root exiting the spinal canal. Conservative treatment (physiotherapy, analgesics, epidural injections) is the first line of management. Surgery is indicated when symptoms persist for 6–12 weeks despite adequate conservative treatment, when severe neurological deficit (foot drop, loss of bladder or bowel control — cauda equina syndrome) is present, or when pain is intolerable.

Micro discectomy is performed under general anaesthesia with the patient in a prone position. Through a small midline incision (2–3cm), the paraspinal muscles are gently dilated (rather than cut) using a tubular retractor system. Under the magnification of an operating microscope or endoscope, a small portion of the ligamentum flavum and minimal bone (partial hemilaminectomy) is removed to access the spinal canal. The compressed nerve root is carefully retracted, and the herniated disc fragment is precisely excised using micro-instruments, completely decompressing the nerve.

The key advantages of micro discectomy over conventional open discectomy include dramatically reduced muscle trauma (due to tubular dilation rather than cutting), smaller incision, significantly less post-operative pain, shorter hospital stay (typically 1–2 days), faster return to walking (same day or next day), and quicker return to work and normal activities (2–4 weeks for most patients).

Endoscopic discectomy (full-endoscopic transforaminal or interlaminar technique) represents the most minimally invasive approach, using a 7–8mm working channel endoscope through a single small port under continuous saline irrigation and direct endoscopic visualization — offering even less tissue disruption, local anaesthesia feasibility, and same-day discharge in selected cases.

At Moolchand Hospital in Lajpat Nagar Delhi, our neurosurgeons and spine surgeons are highly experienced in micro and endoscopic discectomy, providing patients with the least invasive and most effective surgical solution for lumbar disc disease, supported by pre-operative MRI assessment and post-operative physiotherapy rehabilitation.