Lumbar Disk Replacement: An Overview

Lumbar disk Replacement is a surgical operation of the act of replacing one of the disks of a patient’s spine. In this surgery, surgeons remove one of the patient’s spinal disks and replace them with an artificial one. It is also a type of spine surgery and an alternative to another spinal surgery named spinal fusion surgery. Despite that, lumbar disk replacements are less common compared to a spinal fusion surgery and is a surgery that is rarely done. With this being said, why might a patient need a lumbar disk replacement? 

First, there are actually various reasons on why a patient would require lumbar disk replacement. For instance, back pain, spinal problems, balance issues, muscle weakness, and many more. In addition, loss of bowel and bladder control are also symptoms that may encourage doctors to recommend a lumbar disk replacement. In spite of that, doctors must conduct a thorough physical exam and patients must have certain criteria before they are allowed to proceed with this operation. Some of these criteria include not having a prior spine surgery, not being overweight, your back pain comes from two or more disks, and you do not have scoliosis or any other spinal deformity. 

Moreover, this surgery is actually rarely done as there are a number of risks that come with this procedure. For example, some risks of this surgery are infection of the artificial disk, dislocation of the disk, failure of placing the disk, difficulties with movement, spinal stiffness, injury to nearby nerves, paralysis, blood clots and more. Therefore, this surgery is very uncommon since it is a surgical operation that is high risk. 

In regards to the recovering period, according to Penn Medicine, the recovery time for a lumbar disk replacement is around approximately 3 months and most patients stay in the hospital for around 1 to 3 days post operation. During their recovery, surgeons commonly recommend avoiding lifting things, driving, bending, or twisting for at least 3 months post to the operation. To add, patients may use a brace to prevent them from moving their spine too much and encourage healing of the spine. In addition, there will be special accommodations to their diet and their hygiene habits such as showering. 

As expressed in this article, a lumbar disk replacement surgery is a surgical operation that is mostly uncommonly used and mostly used as an alternative to spinal fusion surgery. A lumbar disk replacement surgery is a surgical operation that surgeons perform as a method to relieve severe back pain that occurs as a result of disks that need to be replaced. Although it may seem like a simple procedure, there are actually many risks associated with this procedure such as infection and implant failure. Despite that, the surgery still stands as a rare, yet vital procedure used worldwide in the medical field. 

Written by Connie Ma at Incisionary

APA References

Adams, J. E. (n.d.). Lumbar Artificial Disk Replacement - OrthoInfo - AAOS. OrthoInfo. Retrieved July 10, 2025, from https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/treatment/artificial-disk-replacement-in-the-lumbar-spine/

Disk replacement - lumbar spine. (2024, August 27). MedlinePlus. Retrieved July 10, 2025, from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007745.htm

Lumbar Disc Replacement Surgery. (n.d.). Penn Medicine. Retrieved July 10, 2025, from https://www.pennmedicine.org/treatments/disc-replacement

Lumbar Disk Replacement. (n.d.). Johns Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved July 10, 2025, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/lumbar-disk-replacement