An operation to remove part of an intervertebral disc, usually in order to release a trapped nerve, but with minimal disruption of the spinal muscles and other tissues.

An operation used to remove a portion of a damaged disc and correct a pinched nerve. It is the current “gold standard” of treatment. The incision is smaller and the tissue damage is less than with older techniques. It does not rely on experimental tools and has been used successfully by thousands of doctors on millions of patients for at least 30 years.

an open operation using an incision which is one to two inches long

a less invasive procedure