When back surgery is required, it is most likely to be one of the following procedures:

Discectomy (sometimes called discotomy) is done to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord or one of the nerve roots branching off the spinal cord. It involves removing part or all of a disc from between two vertebrae. Sometimes small bone spurs that have formed will also be removed. The space between the vertebrae may be left open or it may be filled with a small piece of bone and fused.

Fusion involves the permanent joining of two vertebrae to eliminate painful movement.

Laminectomy involves the removal of part of a vertebra. It may be done to relieve pressure on a nerve root, to treat a spinal injury, or to give the surgeon access to the spinal cord.