What is the lumbar disco?

The lumbar discogram is an outpatient, invasive procedure used to evaluate the condition of the discs in the lumbar part of the spine and determining whether these discs are the cause of back pain. During the lumbar disco, also known as a disco, a contrast medium is injected into each lumbar disk and then reviewed by X -ray or computer tomography (CT). The risks associated with the discogram include infection, damage to nerves and spinal cord headache. Before the procedure, the patient is administered by intravenous sedative and sometimes antibiotics. The patient is then placed on his side to provide access backwards. After sterilizing the injection sites, a contrast medium is injected into each lumbar disk. During this part of the procedure, the patient will not feel any pain, or will feel discomfort similar to the back pain that caused the need for the test.

After injection of the contrast medium, the discs will be evaluated using X -ray or CT scan to determine whether the dye moved in the lumbar discs. AfterKUD remains located on the disk, the disk is healthy. The dye that dispersed from the injection site suggests that the disk has cracked or torn. After review, the patient will still be on the table to ensure that the sedative and certainty ensure that back pain will not intensify. Results of dyes and pain or lack of pain associated with injection are used to diagnose and determine the course of treatment.

with a lumbar disco is associated with several possible complications. The worst complication is disccitis, disk infection. This type of infection is difficult to treat, which requires strong antibiotics and mobilization of the back during recovery. Another complication is damage to the nerve root, which can lead to pain or insensitivity in the lower back, bottom or legs. The lumbar discogram can also produce headaches or extremely intense headaches caused by piercing the membrane surrounding the spinal cord.

This test is most often ordered to help determine the reason for permanent pain of the patient,hips, legs or groin that have not been alleviated by standard treatment. It can also be ordered when other diagnostic tools are not able to determine the cause of pain in these areas. The lumbar discogram can occasionally be ordered to evaluate the health of backbone discs from the lumbar fusion surgery.

Using a disco to evaluate back pain is somewhat controversial. Some doctors believe that discogram is delicate, invasive surgery that does not always provide solid results and bring considerable risks. Other doctors feel that this procedure provides valuable information that cannot be obtained any other procedure.