Etymed
diskectomy
Definition
Surgical removal of a disk
Clinical context
A 45-year-old patient presents with severe back pain radiating down the left leg after lifting a heavy box. MRI reveals a herniated lumbar disk compressing the nerve root. The patient fails conservative treatment and undergoes diskectomy to relieve neural compression. Post-operatively, the patient experiences significant pain relief and improved mobility.
Mnemonic
Diskectomy = Disk removal, like removing a broken disk from a record player