WHY WOULD I WANT TO CHOOSE SELECTIVE ENDOSCOPIC DISCECTOMY (SED)™ INSTEAD OF THE OTHER PROCEDURES?
Endoscopic discectomy is the least invasive back surgical procedure that can treat significant large disc abnormalities. It selectively only removes the damaged disc material under direct vision leaving normal healthy disc in place to support your lower back. We can tell the normal disc which looks white from abnormal disk which will stain blue with the dye that is injected during the discogram. Only the damaged stained blue disc material will be removed. In this procedure the only cut is a quarter inch incision in the skin. Obtaining access to the disc is performed by slipping the scope between the muscles and ligaments with no cutting of the deeper important structures. IDET involves heating the disc material with an electric wire. Most patients are worse for several weeks following this procedure and then only about 50% at best have a permanent improvement. This procedure works best for only lower back pain without radicular leg pain. Coblation vaporizes a small amount of the disc m
