Rafael Furcal and Surgery

Furcal was announced to have surgery today in what will most likely be a procedure called a microdiscectomy. This is a minimally invasive procedure that removes only the portion of the disc that is causing the pinching or pressure on one of the spinal nerve roots. (see the image below courtesy of eSpine.com and Robert Pashman, M.D.) This operation uses a surgical microscope and microsurgical techniques and thus requires only a very small incision. The recovery time is a lot less than a traditional discectomy in which a large portion or all of the disc.

So why is it done instead of traditional rehab? It's usually only done for very specific conditions and only after a traditional round of rehabilitation has been attempted. Generally, a lumbar microsdiscectomy is performed only when the ruptured disc is pinching a spinal nerve root and it causes:

1. Leg pain which limits your normal daily functions
   
2. Muscular weakness in your leg(s) or feet
   
3. Numbness/tingling
   
4. Decreased bowel and/or bladder function
   

Furcal has met at least 3 of the four conditions and maybe the 4^th and we just don't know. So after his failed attempt at rehab there was no need to try another bout.

The operation is described above and the rehab is accelerated once the area has healed well. Core muscles are worked to focus on core stability taking pressure off the low back as is stretching of the hamstrings.

Note: I'm considering doing a weekly series on common injuries in baseball and the treatment, i.e. labral tears, elbow flexor strains, impingement, etc. in much the same format as above. I think that this will help everyone understand the risks and potential recovery time a lot better than simply analyzing it once it happens. If this is something you're interested in, I'd love to hear from you.