Posted by Vince on October 17, 2000 at 22:28:05:

In Reply to: Hi Vince! posted by Sue on October 17, 2000 at 22:23:06:

: Hi Vince! Thanks for your reply. It's encouraging to hear that you are doing well from your micro-disectomy. I was told that they would not be able to perform the "micro" on me, as my herniation is in the L5-S1 area, and they would not be able to get the instruments in there due to the pelvis being up higher than the L5-S1 disc. But I still really don't know the answer to (or the reasons why) they would take either the whole disc, the nucleus only, or shave off the part that is herniated. Do you know? Thanks! Sue

Every case may be different but my friend had just part of the disc removed and did not have a fusion. By the way, my rupture/herniation was at L5-S1.