Herniated Disc Compressing the Nerve (Herniated disc) is a common condition found in young and middle-aged adults, causing chronic back and leg pain. It creates discomfort, suffering, and anxiety for patients and their families. Generally, people tend to think that this condition only causes back pain, but in fact, leg symptoms are more important and specific to this disease because they indicate nerve root irritation that runs down to the leg. Causes include frequently lifting heavy objects with incorrect posture, excessive body weight, sitting in improper postures for long periods, accidents, and spinal injuries.
Characteristics of Pain Symptoms
The pain or numbness in the leg caused by a herniated disc compressing the nerve has the characteristic of following the path of the affected nerve. The pain can occur from the lower back, thigh, calf, down to the foot and toes. Muscle weakness also resembles the pain and numbness due to the compressed nerve.
Holmium: YAG Laser Treatment Option
Laser technology (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) has been incorporated into endoscopic surgery for spinal diseases, providing an alternative for patients who fear open surgery, wound pain, and trauma from open surgical wounds.
Holmium YAG Laser is a new generation laser that can be used through optical fibers and has a surface ablation depth of 0.3 millimeters, which is sufficient for tissue dissection while also stopping bleeding. Laser tissue ablation has the added advantage of not damaging surrounding tissues, offering high precision and rapid energy absorption without heat accumulation in the treated tissue. Moreover, current surgeries are often minimally invasive (endoscopic surgery) with small incisions of only 1-2 centimeters, using small surgical instruments inserted through the endoscope. Therefore, in some narrow angles where it is difficult to operate, using a laser helps make the surgery easier and more effective.
Advantages of Laser in Surgery
- More precise and smaller than a blade, helping to dissect tissue to quickly access the surgical target.
- Less blood loss compared to conventional surgery.
- In narrow surgical spaces, even though surgical instruments are small, it can be difficult to operate, but laser cutting in tight spaces is easier.
- Can dissolve inflamed tissue using laser energy.
- Reduces the risk of damage to adjacent nerve tissues better than using Radiofrequency Bipolar waves.
- Very small surgical wound, only half the size of one joint of our little finger.
