At first, you might have thought it was just a common muscle strain and expected it to get better with medication or rest. Even when experiencing leg tingling and severe buttock pain, many patients at our Hwagok Station neurosurgery clinic endure it by relying only on injections and physical therapy. However, if your legs suddenly lose strength or begin to feel numb, this is a clear emergency sign that non-surgical treatments are no longer enough. Fearing surgery can cause you to miss the golden time for treatment, leading to permanent paralysis or long-term disability. Today, Seoul Jeil Neurosurgery will clearly explain when surgery becomes essential and why this golden time matters.

When consulting patients in the clinic, we most frequently encounter one major misconception: "Doctor, people say spine surgery causes serious trouble. Shouldn't I endure it as long as possible?" Driven by negative reviews from acquaintances or unverified information, many end up worsening their condition by insisting on conservative treatments even when surgery is urgently required.

This is far from medical reality. Unlike in the past, modern spinal surgery techniques have advanced dramatically. They no longer involve making large skin incisions or shaving off substantial amounts of bone. Utilizing microscopic or endoscopic spinal procedures, incisions are kept minimal, preserving normal muscle and joint tissues while precisely removing only the nerve-compressing lesions.

In fact, endlessly enduring pain when surgical intervention is urgent can lead to permanent nerve damage. If you visit the clinic only after losing ankle strength or experiencing bladder control issues, even the most skilled neurosurgeon may struggle to fully restore nerve function. Avoiding surgery unconditionally is never the right answer.

Nerves squeezed by spinal stenosis or herniated lumbar discs suffer severe mechanical damage and impaired blood flow over time. Once spinal nerve cells die or become necrotic, regeneration is extremely difficult.

If you suppress pain with medications or injections while ignoring underlying nerve compression, severe neurological symptoms will progressively appear:

If you decide on surgery late after these paralysis symptoms begin, freeing the physically compressed nerves may not fully restore damaged nerve cells, leaving you with permanent walking difficulties or sensory impairment. Enduring pain is not a virtue; undergoing surgery to eliminate the root cause before the nerve golden time passes is the only way to protect your health.

Let us share the story of Patient A, a male in his 60s who visited Seoul Jeil Neurosurgery. Patient A had suffered from lower back and leg pain for over two years, receiving dozens of nerve block injections, physical therapy, and oriental medicine treatments at other clinics.

While treatment provided temporary relief for a few days, the pain kept recurring more severely. Eventually, he couldn't walk even 50 meters due to bursting leg pain. Terrified of surgery, he endured the pain until he experienced a scary incident where his right leg suddenly lost strength while going down the stairs, almost causing him to fall. He then visited our clinic, known as a trusted Hwagok Station neurosurgery center.

A detailed MRI revealed that a severely herniated disc between the L4-5 vertebrae was blocking over 85% of the spinal canal, accompanied by severe spinal stenosis caused by thickened bones and ligaments. Physical structural changes were already so advanced that injections or non-surgical procedures could no longer eliminate the herniated disc.

The medical team at Seoul Jeil Neurosurgery decided to perform a "microscopic disc removal and decompression surgery" through a minimal incision of less than 1 cm tailored to his condition. The surgery was completed safely in about an hour, completely removing the herniated disc fragments and thickened ligamentum flavum compressing the nerves.

Starting that evening, the sharp leg pain and tingling that had tormented Patient A vanished completely. By the day after surgery, he was able to walk freely down the hospital hallway wearing a brace. Patient A smiled brightly, saying, "If I knew the pain would vanish this quickly and easily, I wouldn't have suffered for two years relying only on injections out of fear."

We do not recommend surgery to every spinal patient. However, expertise is essential to accurately identify when surgery is necessary and offer the safest, least burdensome surgical approach for the patient.

Located right in front of Exit 1 of Hwagok Station, Seoul Jeil Neurosurgery features highly experienced neurosurgeons who take full responsibility for every step—from diagnosis to surgery and post-operative care. Equipped with university-hospital-grade high-performance MRI and precision surgical microscopes, we accurately diagnose and treat without missing even 1 mm of nerve damage.

By applying minimal incision techniques, bleeding and infection risks are low, allowing elderly patients or those with chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes to undergo surgery safely. We also connect patients to systematic rehabilitation care post-surgery to actively assist in a rapid return to daily life.

Please check the items below to see whether you can continue non-surgical treatment or if you have reached a stage where surgical treatment should be considered: