Hi John,
My best guess is that your doc said you had a fissure, which is just a fancy name for a tear. (My doc also used the most elaborate language possible: intead of telling me I had a disc herniation that was causing me pain, he said my pain was due to herniated nucleus pulposus compressing the L5 nerve root).
I have only heard of one procedure used to repair tears in discs. It is called IDET. But tears are not necessarily the cause of pain. I have tears in several of my discs, but my pain was caused by a herniation of the disc between the L4 and L5 vertebrae.
I hope this helps.
HNP
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HNP at L4-5 late Sept
3 months PT
Reherniation late Feb
Nerve block mid March
Microdiscectomy April 4
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HNP at L4-5 late Sept 2002
3 months PT and Ibuprofen
Reherniation late Feb 2003
Nerve block mid March 2003
Microdiscectomy 4 April 2003
3 months PT (trunk stabilization)
Walk 4 miles daily from now on.
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Fisher? 
