Lumbar microdiscectomy outcome data

Lumbar Microdiscectomy Results

This section provides 'clinical outcome' data for 325 of 372 consecutive patients of Dr Sears who have undergone lumbar microdiscectomy for a herniated lumbar disc (and who had completed pre-operative 'clinical outcome' questionnaires), since November 2007.

Also presented below are the surgical complications for 359 consecutive microdisectomy procedures - 327 patients in the above 'clinical outcome' series and an additional 32 patients, who were not included in that series as they had not completed pre-operative questionnaires.

Page last updated: September 15th, 2026.

Number of patients -

with pre-operative 'clinical outcome' data: 372
with pre-op and follow-up 'clinical outcome' data: 325 (87.4%)
with minimum 6-months follow-up data: 285 (80.6%)
with minimum 12-months data: 253 (72.0%)
with minimum 2-year data 205 (59.4%)

Age of patients -
Average: 55.0 years
Median: 55.1 years
Range: 15.6 - 88.4 years

Length of Follow-up:
Median time from surgery to last follow-up questionnaire: 25.5 months (range: 1.5 - 214.1 months)

Patient Outcomes:

Overall Satisfaction:
at last follow-up (median 24-months):

"Was the operation worthwhile?"
- Yes 96.5%
- No 3.2%
- Uncertain 0.3%
"Under similar circumstances, would you have it again?"
- Yes 93.8%
- No 5.5%
- Uncertain 0.7%

Outcome scores:

Avge. Pain scores:
   Back pain -
Least:
On average:
Most:
   Leg pain -
   Least:
On average:
   Most:

Oswestry Disability Index:

SF-36
PCS:
MCS:

Pre-operative

2.7 / 10
4.2 / 10
6.1 / 10

3.3 / 10
5.3 / 10
7.5 / 10

47.1 (+/-20.5)

32.3 (+/-8.5)
44.1 (+/-12.8)

Last follow-up

1.1 / 10
1.4 / 10
2.2 / 10

0.6 / 10
0.9 / 10
1.4 / 10

12.5 (+/-15.4)

48.0 (+/-10.3)
52.2 (+/-10.0)

Lumbar Microdiscectomy Results

Outcome scores:

Pre-operative

​Last follow-up

Last follow-up