Nucleoplasty

What is nucleoplasty?

Nucleoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure designed to treat back pain or leg pain caused by contained disc herniations. It works by decompressing the nucleus of the disc. Similar to letting air out of a tire, removing tissue from the center of a disc causes a reduction of pressure within the disc. This in turn leads to a reduction in the pressure that the disc applies to other parts of the body, such as nerve roots or the spinal cord.

What type of symptoms can be treated?

The procedure treats those who suffer from a contained disc herniation that has not responded to conservative care. Typical signs of a contained disc herniation are pain radiating down the leg or arm accompanied by some back or neck pain. Nucleoplasty is not useful for degenerative disc disease or spinal fractures.

What happens before the procedure?

Medical evaluation includes a physical exam. Diagnostic tests such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), steroid injection or discography may be conducted to diagnose and locate the symptomatic disc herniation and determine if the procedure is appropriate.

How does the procedure work?

Nucleoplasty requires the patient to lie on his/her stomach for the lumbar procedure or back for the cervical procedure. The procedure is performed under X-ray guidance to accurately place a needle into the disc. Sedation may be administered by your doctor. A small nick is made in the skin near the spine, and a needle is inserted. The decompression device, called a SpineWand, is then inserted through the needle into the disc and activated to remove tissue. The device and the needle are removed and the small nick is covered with a bandage.

Will the procedure hurt?

Because Nucleoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure performed under local anaesthesia, there should be minimal pain. A patient may experience some discomfort or bruising where the needle was inserted.

What happens after the procedure?

Patients are required to remain for observation for one to two hours after the procedure. Often patients are then released to rest for one to three days with limited sitting or walking.

How long does the procedure take?

The total procedure time is generally between 15 minutes to 1 hour.

Can my symptoms be relieved?

In most cases, symptoms caused by the herniated disc are gone or diminished within weeks. You may obtain more information from www.nucleoplasty.com