Diskectomy is surgery to remove the damaged part of a disk in the spine that has its soft center pushing out through the tough outer lining. A herniated disk can irritate or press on nearby nerves.

Diskectomy works best for treating pain that travels down the arms or legs from a compressed nerve. The procedure is less helpful for treating pain that’s felt only in the back or neck. Most people who have back pain or neck pain find relief with other treatments, such as weight loss, arthritis medication or physical therapy.

A health care provider might suggest diskectomy if other, nonsurgical treatments have not worked or if symptoms worsen. There are several ways to perform a diskectomy. Many surgeons prefer minimally invasive diskectomy, which uses small incisions and a microscope or tiny video camera for viewing the procedure.