Percutaneous Discectomy Specialist

Pain Management Specialists of New York

Board Certified In Pain Management And Anesthesiology located in Manhattan, Astoria, NY & Bronx, NY

When you still struggle with the pain of a herniated or bulging disc despite conservative therapies, you may get the relief you need from a percutaneous discectomy. Board-certified pain management expert Ari Lerner, MD, performs pain-relieving discectomies at the fully credentialed office-based surgery center located on-site at Pain Management Specialists of New York. To learn if you’re a good candidate for a discectomy of the back or neck, book an appointment online or call 718-932-1740 to book an appointment at one of their convenient locations in New York City: Long Island City, Astoria, Midtown East, Manhattan, and Pelham Bay and Mott Haven in the Bronx.

Percutaneous Discectomy Q&A

What is a percutaneous discectomy?

A percutaneous discectomy is a minimally invasive disc decompression procedure to treat a herniated disc in the back or neck that has not yet ruptured, called a contained herniated disc. During this procedure, your provider at Pain Management Specialists of New York uses a needle inserted through your skin to decompress the disc.

What are contained or non-contained herniated discs?

The discs located between the spinal vertebrae are a fibrous outer layer that surrounds a gel-like substance in the center. As you get older, spinal discs dehydrate, become less elastic, and develop weak areas or small tears in the outer cover.

When the inner gel bulges out through a weak area while the outer cover stays intact, you have a contained herniated disc. If the disc ruptures and the gel spills out, you have a non-contained herniated disc.

What symptoms indicate I may need a percutaneous discectomy?

Herniated discs cause neck or back pain, depending on where the disc is located in your spine. As the disc bulges out, it may compress the nearby nerves, causing symptoms anywhere along the nerve.

Patients frequently experience burning, tingling, or pain that radiates down their arms or legs. Herniated discs are the most common cause of sciatica. When you have a pinched sciatic nerve, you develop electric-shock pain that shoots down one leg.

What happens during a percutaneous discectomy?

At Pain Management Specialists of New York, percutaneous discectomy involves a local anesthetic and C-arm fluoroscopy to guide the procedure. C-arm fluoroscopy produces high-resolution images in real-time using X-rays. With this specialized imaging, your provider can visualize your spine and see the needle.

They insert the needle, guide it into the center of the disc, and then they remove a small amount of the inner gel-like tissue.

Removing the tissue decompresses the disc and reduces pressure on the nerve, which in turn alleviates your pain. Since your provider only removes a small amount of the disc tissue, your spine maintains its stability.

If you struggle with ongoing back or neck pain from a herniated disc, call Pain Management Specialists of New York, or book an appointment online, to explore disc decompression.