Surgical management for lumbar disc herniation in pregnancy

Lumbar disc herniation is a common surgical spine pathology that may be presented during pregnancy. The state of pregnancy complicates the diagnosis and therapeutical management of this entity. Specific considerations rule the decision for surgical intervention, the optimal timing of it and the type of selected procedure in a pregnant patient, due to the potential risks for the fetus. In the last 30 years, evolution in the field of spine surgery has provided options other than open standard discectomy. The well-established concept of “minimal intervention” has led to the development of microdiscectomy and other innovative, full-endoscopic techniques for lumbar discectomy. The aim of the present study is to review the surgical management of lumbar disc herniation in pregnancy and investigate the potential role of minimally invasive spine surgery in this specific population.