When dealing with intervertebral hernias, surgery carries risks, but the chance of a poor outcome is low, and many patients can be up and moving the day after the procedure. This perspective comes from neurosurgeon Andrei Vavryn, who discussed the topic openly in an interview.
People often fear anesthesia and the idea of going under the knife. Some people push to avoid surgery even when delaying could lead to worsening disability. While every surgical intervention has some risk, the likelihood of negative results after removing a herniated disc remains small, according to Vavryn.
Not every hernia requires removal. In fact, some can heal on their own, which has happened in several cases seen by the surgeon in his practice.
In many cases, patients with a herniated disc are successfully treated with conservative approaches or minimal interventions. There have been instances where patients initially planned for surgical treatment due to pronounced symptoms, but after a period of evaluation and a favorable response to nonoperative measures, surgery was ultimately unnecessary. When the hernias remained controlled, they even disappeared during preoperative assessments. The medical team, after careful consideration, advised continuing nonoperative management instead of proceeding to surgery. [Source: socialbites.ca]