Does Cervical Disc Bulge Surgery Require a Hospital Stay

A cervical disc bulge can cause symptoms like pain, muscle weakness, or numbness that manifest in the arms, legs, back, neck, or pelvic area. These symptom can have a major impact on your day-to-day life, especially if they are severe. Fortunately, disc bulges are normally quite treatable, and cervical disc bulge surgery need not have an excessive recovery time.

About Disc Bulges

Each of the spine's vertebrae are separated by an intervertebral disc. These discs help to cushion the vertebrae from one another, and absorb shock from everyday movement. A disc bulge occurs when one of the discs becomes misshapen, or "bulges." This is an extremely common problem, especially for people who have reached middle age, because the discs lose fluid with age.

When a disc bulges, it sometimes doesn't cause any symptoms - many people don't even know they have a disc bulge. However, sometimes the disc can press against the spinal cord in nerve roots, and in that case symptoms can occur and treatment may be necessary.

Types of Surgery

Most disc bulges can be treated without resorting to surgery, which is preferable in cases where it is possible. However, it is relatively more likely for a cervical disc bulge to require surgery, because the location of the bulge sometimes makes the condition more urgent. For example, in some cases patients experience progressive muscle weakness or tingling, which could potentially lead to paralysis if left untreated. Your doctor will make the decision on what type of treatment to administer based on the severity of your symptoms and how you've responded to any previous treatments.

When surgery is necessary, a disc bulge can be treated with two types of surgery. One option is traditional spine surgery, which is an invasive procedure with a relatively lengthy recovery time. The second option is laser spine surgery, a modern, minimally invasive technique. During this procedure, the doctor inserts a laser probe into the spine and applies laser energy to dissolve the bulging portion of the disc.

Laser cervical disc bulge surgery has a shorter recovery time. One of the biggest advantages to the procedure is that there is no hospital time associated with it. The procedure is performed in an outpatient setting, under only local anesthesia; patients return home the same day.

To learn more about whether cervical disc bulge surgery is right for you, please click below and enter your information or call the Datta Endoscopic Back Surgery and Pain Center at (646) 374-1799.