NEUROWELLNESS · SPINE CARE, BENGALURU
Microdiscectomy for Sciatica, Explained Simply
Sharp pain shooting from your back down the leg? Numbness or tingling in the foot? A slipped disc in the lower back may be pressing on a nerve. Most settle without surgery — but when they don’t, microdiscectomy is one of the most reliable spine operations. Here is everything you need to know, in plain, everyday language.
Microdiscectomy at a glance
The name, decoded
What is a microdiscectomy?
Microdiscectomy is also called Micro Lumbar Discectomy (MLD). Each part of the name simply tells you what the surgeon does.
Micro
The surgeon works through a small opening using an operating microscope for a magnified, well-lit view.
Lumbar
The lumbar spine is the five large bones in your lower back, where most slipped discs happen.
Disc
The soft shock absorber between two bones. A torn disc can push out and press on a nerve.
-ectomy
Know your lower back
What is a slipped disc?
- Between every two bones of your lower back sits a disc — a tough outer ring with a soft, jelly-like centre.
- With wear, strain or a sudden injury, the outer ring can tear and the jelly pushes out. This is a slipped disc, also called a herniated disc or PIVD.
- Right behind the disc run the nerve roots that form the sciatic nerve, travelling down the buttock and leg to the foot.
- When the pushed-out disc presses on a nerve root, you feel sciatica — pain, tingling or numbness down the leg.
💡 Think of it like this: a disc is like a jam-filled doughnut between two bones. Press too hard and jam squeezes out of a crack — straight onto the “electric wire” running behind it.
What goes wrong
Why does a lower back disc slip?
A disc usually slips because of a mix of wear and a moment of strain. Common reasons:
⏳ Age-related wear
From the late 20s onwards, discs slowly lose water and become less springy, so the outer ring tears more easily.
🏋️ Lifting with a bent back
Lifting, especially with a twist, puts sudden high pressure on the disc.
💺 Long hours sitting
Prolonged sitting, long drives and poor posture load the lower discs all day.
⚖️ Extra body weight
More weight means more load on the lower back discs with every step.
🚗 Injury or fall
Falls, accidents and sports injuries can suddenly tear a disc.
🚬 Smoking & inactivity
Smoking reduces blood supply to discs; weak core muscles give the spine less support.
Listen to your body
Symptoms you may notice
- Pain that shoots from the buttock down the leg, often below the knee (sciatica)
- Leg pain worse than back pain
- Tingling, numbness or pins-and-needles in the leg or foot
- Pain that gets worse on sitting, bending, coughing or sneezing
- Weakness in the leg or foot — difficulty standing on the toes or heels
- Difficulty standing straight or walking far because of leg pain
⚠️ Warning signs — seek urgent medical care
These may mean a large disc is pressing on the nerves at the bottom of the spine (cauda equina syndrome). This is an emergency.
- Numbness around the private parts, buttocks or inner thighs (“saddle” area)
- New difficulty passing urine, or loss of bladder or bowel control
- Rapidly increasing weakness in one or both legs, or foot drop
- Severe pain in both legs together
Finding the cause
How is it diagnosed?
A correct diagnosis is the most important step. Many people have disc bulges on MRI that cause no symptoms at all — what matters is whether the scan matches your symptoms.
🩺 Clinical examination
Strength, sensation, reflexes and the straight-leg-raise test help find which nerve is affected.
🧲 MRI scan
The best test to see the disc and nerves clearly, and exactly where the pressure is.
🩻 X-ray
Checks alignment and rules out a slipped vertebra or instability that may need a different operation.
⚡ Nerve tests (NCV/EMG)
Sometimes used to confirm nerve damage or rule out other nerve problems.
🧪 Blood tests
Routine fitness tests before surgery — sugar, blood counts and others as needed.
❤️ Fitness check
Heart and anaesthesia check-up to make sure surgery is safe for you.
Surgery is not the first step
Do I really need a microdiscectomy?
Most slipped discs settle without surgery. The pushed-out disc often shrinks on its own over weeks, and the leg pain eases.
✅ Try first: non-surgical treatment
- Pain-relief and nerve-calming medicines
- Staying gently active — short walks rather than bed rest
- Physiotherapy and core-strengthening exercises
- Posture, sitting and lifting advice
- Epidural or nerve-root injections in selected patients
🔧 Microdiscectomy may be advised when:
- Leg pain continues despite about 6 weeks or more of proper treatment
- Leg pain is worse than back pain
- The MRI shows a disc that matches your symptoms
- There is weakness or numbness in the leg or foot
- Pain is so severe it stops work, sleep and daily life
Step by step
What happens during a microdiscectomy?
The operation usually takes about 45–90 minutes. Here is what happens, in simple words:
You go fully to sleep
General anaesthesia is given. You feel no pain and remember nothing of the surgery.
Live X-ray marks the level
Real-time X-ray (fluoroscopy) makes sure the cut is made over the correct disc.
A small cut in the lower back
About 2–3 cm, in the middle of the back over the affected level.
Muscles are moved aside, not cut
The back muscles are gently eased away from the bone, which helps a quicker recovery.
A small window is made
If needed, a tiny piece of bone and ligament is removed to reach the nerve. This is called a laminotomy.
The nerve is protected
Under the microscope, the nerve root is gently moved aside and shielded.
The slipped disc fragment is removed
Only the loose piece pressing on the nerve is taken out. This frees the nerve — the main goal of surgery. The rest of the disc is left in place.
The wound is closed
The small cut is closed with stitches or skin glue. No screws, rods or implants are used.
- The microscope gives a magnified, well-lit view through a very small opening.
- The small window in the bone is just big enough to reach the nerve safely.
- Freeing the nerve is what relieves the leg pain — often soon after waking up.
Your options
Microdiscectomy vs other disc surgeries
Microdiscectomy is the most widely used operation for a slipped lumbar disc. The right option depends on your MRI, the size and position of the disc, and whether the spine is stable.
| Surgery | How it is done | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|
| Microdiscectomy | Small incision (2–3 cm) with an operating microscope | Most lumbar disc herniations — the standard, time-tested option |
| Endoscopic discectomy | Keyhole incision (under 1 cm) with an endoscope camera | Selected disc herniations, depending on size and position |
| Fusion (TLIF / PLIF) | Disc removed and the two bones joined with a cage, screws and rods | Discs with instability or a slipped vertebra — not a simple slipped disc |
Read more about minimally invasive spine surgery, TLIF and PLIF.
Getting back to life
Recovery timeline
Recovery after microdiscectomy is usually quick. Every patient is different, but here is a typical path:
Up and walking
Most patients walk within a few hours. Leg pain often improves soon after waking up.
Going home
Often a day-care procedure, or a single overnight stay.
Short walks and driving
Walking several times a day, wound check-up. Short drives once you can sit comfortably and are off strong painkillers.
Back to desk work
Office or computer work can usually resume, with breaks to stand and walk. Physiotherapy begins.
Fuller recovery
Heavier activity, gym and sport resume gradually with guidance. Physical jobs need longer.
After surgery
Do's and Don'ts
✅ Do
- Walk every day — start small and increase gradually
- Use the “log roll” to get in and out of bed
- Keep the wound clean and dry
- Sit in a supportive chair and change position often
- Do core exercises once your physiotherapist starts them
- Attend all follow-up visits
❌ Don’t
- Lift heavy weights, bend or twist at the waist in the first several weeks
- Sit for long periods without getting up
- Smoke — it slows healing and harms discs
- Drive while on strong pain medicines
- Return to gym, sport or manual work before you are cleared
- Ignore fever, wound discharge or new leg weakness or numbness
Honest outcomes
One of the most reliable spine operations
Microdiscectomy relieves sciatica leg pain in the large majority of carefully selected patients. Relief of leg pain is more predictable than relief of back pain.
Same day
walking after surgery
2–3 cm
small lower back incision
0–1
night in hospital, often day-care
Most
patients get clear relief of leg pain
Clearing the fear
Common myths vs facts
MYTH
“Every slipped disc needs surgery.”
MYTH
“Spine surgery causes paralysis.”
FACT
Serious nerve injury is rare. The operation is done to take pressure off the nerve.
MYTH
“I will be bedridden for months.”
FACT
Most patients walk the same day and return to desk work in 2–4 weeks.
MYTH
“They will put screws and rods in my back.”
FACT
A microdiscectomy uses no screws, rods or implants. Only the loose disc piece is removed.
MYTH
“The whole disc is taken out.”
FACT
Only the fragment pressing on the nerve is removed. The rest of the disc stays in place and keeps working.
MYTH
“Bed rest is the best treatment for sciatica.”
FACT
Staying gently active usually helps more than long bed rest, both before and after surgery.
Honest information
Possible side effects and risks
Every surgery carries some risk. With microdiscectomy, most side effects are mild and temporary. Your surgeon will discuss your personal risk before any decision is made.Common, usually temporary
- Pain around the wound for a few days to weeks
- Some leg tingling or numbness that settles as the nerve recovers
- Mild back stiffness
🔁 Recurrence: a small proportion of people have the same disc slip again. Keeping the core strong, good posture and a healthy weight lower this risk.
Less common / rare
- Wound infection or bleeding
- Nerve irritation or injury
- A small tear in the nerve covering (dural tear), usually repaired during surgery
- Blood clots in the legs
- Ongoing back pain — leg pain relief is more predictable than back pain relief
Careful patient selection, the use of a microscope and following post-operative advice all help keep these risks low.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Microdiscectomy FAQs
No — it’s minimally invasive and muscle-sparing, usually day-care, with most patients walking the same day.
Very high for relieving leg pain (sciatica) in appropriately selected patients; back pain relief is less predictable than leg-pain relief.
Most return to desk work in 2–4 weeks; heavier activity and sport around 6–12 weeks with guidance.
A small percentage do have a recurrence; maintaining core strength, good posture and a healthy weight lowers the risk.
No. It is done under general anaesthesia, so you are fully asleep and will not feel or remember the operation.
Many patients notice leg pain easing soon after surgery. Numbness and weakness usually recover more slowly, over weeks to months.
No. Microdiscectomy removes only the slipped disc piece. No screws, rods or cages are placed.
Both remove the slipped disc piece. Microdiscectomy uses a small incision and a microscope; endoscopic discectomy uses a keyhole incision and a camera. Endoscopic surgery suits selected discs depending on their size and position.
When medically necessary, it is generally covered by most health insurance policies, subject to your policy terms. Please check with your insurer.
Sciatica not settling? Find out if microdiscectomy is right for you.
Bring your MRI and symptoms for an honest assessment — discuss whether surgery or continued non-surgical care is appropriate.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Ganesh Veerabhadraiah, HOD and Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon, NeuroWellness, Bengaluru. Last reviewed: 21-Oct-2026
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a qualified specialist for guidance appropriate to your condition. Do not use this information for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. In a medical emergency, seek immediate care at the nearest hospital. NeuroWellness does not promote, endorse or recommend any particular doctor or procedure.