Percutaneous disc decompression, also known as nucleoplasty, is a minimally invasive, fluoroscope image-guided discectomy procedure to treat back pain and leg pain caused by herniated discs. During percutaneous disc decompression, a doctor uses image guidance to remove a small amount of disc tissue to relieve pressure on the nerves to help reduce pain and restore mobility. The procedure typically takes one hour.
Candidates for percutaneous disc decompression include people who have chronic back pain lasting at least six weeks and debilitation due to disc herniation after traditional treatments have failed. People with osteoporosis may also benefit from the procedure.
Nucleoplasty, or percutaneous disc decompression, was first developed in the 1960s. There are several different procedures currently used to perform this treatment, including the Stryker Disc Dekompressor Discectomy.
