Open back or laser surgery

1-6-09
I have a right far lateral disc herniation at L4/5. Pain in lower back and down front/sides of right leg. They say don't have surgery unless absolutely necessary.  For 5 months I have tried epidurals, prednisone, heat/cold, physical therapy, fascia massages, acupuncture, etc. to no avail.  Actually the 3rd epidural made it worse - I only had pain down to knee until then. Now I have pain,numbness, tingling down to my foot.  Still on crutches and anexsia so have to seriously consider surgery.  A discectomy for sure and possibly a laminectomy or laminotomy. I suppose that depends on what they find upon getting on the inside.

However, am trying to figure out whether to have open back discectomy or laser surgery.  Seems like there is a big contorversey over the laser spine institutes and I have not been able to find major hospitals/surgeons who do laser surgery.

My Q:  Laser surgery is less invasive, less bleeding, no cutting of muscle and ligaments, less scarring, less expensive, outpatient, no general anasthesia, less recovery time, etc. etc.but why aren't major hospitals/Drs. doing this?  Learning curve, expense, time????  

Q:  Choices only seem to be the laser clinics & most of them in FL.  instead of the usual places such as Mayo, UCLA, John Hopkins for example  Are these  laser institutes/Drs./credible?

Q,  I read that one of reasons you don't want to choose laser is because they cannot see the actual nerves and if the disc is large enough/problem enough to require surgery then you want to be able to see it and decompress.  Is this true?  This article was a bit older (2005 I believe) so I don't know whether this is still the case as I thought you could see everything with the mciro cameras they use.

Question:  So is laser surgery the way to go and if so how do you find someone good to do the surgery.

Would be wonderful to get a handle on this.

Sally

[marshamello]

I have all the same questions as you do. I have not read the 2005 report about the possibility of not being able to see the disc properly to decompress the nerve (which I have at L2) so could you send me the link to it.  THANKS!  Also if you hear anything else or make up your mind could you please let me know - I would SO appreciate it!!
Marsha