When a patient goes to the hospital after an illness, it is common sense that the decision to operate or not is made by the doctor. It is up to the patient to decide whether to operate or not, because all aspects of the patient’s own reasons (education, economic status, public opinion from all around, his own constitution, etc.) determine whether the patient will operate or not. The doctor certainly knows more than the patient about the disease, its development and regression, and has absolute authority in medicine, but he cannot impose this will on the patient. The patient has the right to choose whether to operate or not, to choose the method of surgery, and to choose the surgeon who will operate, and the doctor can offer the best treatment plan to the patient and let the patient choose. There are many details that need to be clarified before choosing the surgery, and the details make the difference between success and failure. Is it up to the doctor to decide if it is time for the patient to have surgery? No, the doctor does not have the right to decide if the patient should have surgery! They don’t have the right to decide what kind of surgery a patient should have! But the doctor has the most unique right to advise. As a professional, the doctor has the most specialized training compared to the patient; has seen a variety of treatments and outcomes; knows the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment; and is aware of the latest advances in the discipline. As the executor of the patient’s treatment decisions, this right to advise is well deserved. Is it up to the patient to decide when to have surgery? Yes and no. As the bearer of the disease, the independent actor, the patient has the independent right to choose the time of surgery and to decide on the treatment. This decision is conditional. Having surgery is not a simple act like watching a movie or watching the World Cup. Confucius: The body’s hair and skin are received by the parents, dare not destroy them, the beginning of filial piety. Surgical treatment has advantages that cannot be matched by conservative treatment, with quick results and short recovery time, but surgical treatment has risks. It is important to take professional advice before deciding on this physically traumatic treatment method. Especially with the development of minimally invasive technology, the trauma of a minimally invasive surgery has become very small, even smaller than many small needle knife, silver needle, and multiple interventional treatment methods. The timing of surgery is usually when conservative treatment is not working well, symptoms are getting worse, and imaging is more severe. Are the symptoms severe? Only the patient can experience it clearly. Listen carefully: it is not clear to say, it is clear to experience. Different people feel and tolerate pain differently, the degree of restriction on one’s life varies, and the degree of personal acceptance of surgical procedures varies. Therefore, it is important for patients to have good control of the timing of this surgery after listening to the advice of many doctors, which is a special right given to you by the disease. Who decides what surgical method to do? By the patient? Not true. The patient is a layman and does not have the ability to do this. Is it up to the surgeon? No. Each doctor has his or her own treatment method that he or she specializes in and wants to be able to apply his or her own method to decide the patient’s problem. Patients should shop around, listen to the advantages and disadvantages of different treatment methods of different doctors, and decide the treatment method by themselves, taking into account their own condition. When choosing a doctor, it is important to understand the doctor’s educational background, general ability, and the background and general strength of the hospital the doctor relies on. When possible, meet a patient who has received this treatment method, see his current situation, talk about the comprehensive evaluation of the treatment process, and finally decide on the method of treatment. This process may seem troublesome, but after this process, it is easier to obtain better treatment results. As the saying goes: the process of seeing a doctor is a learning process, a precious process that enriches life experience. The advantages and disadvantages of various methods? Conservative, various physical therapies and therapies not targeting the cause, interventional, endoscopic, access surgery, and open surgery are commonly used methods for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation. 1, conservative treatment methods are simple, such as sleeping on a hard bed and resting for a period of time, carrying a lumbar girth for a period of time, not doing heavy physical labor for a period of time, etc. are all conservative treatment methods. The simple phrase is to delay and see how the condition develops? But the efficacy is relatively poor, the symptoms are very easy to relapse. 2, a variety of physical therapy and non-cause-specific therapy: simple, not cause-specific therapy. For example, acupuncture, silver needle, small needle knife, buried wire, equipment physiotherapy and so on. For the real lumbar disc herniation efficacy grasp low, really also easy to relapse. 3, interventional therapy: treatment for the cause, need various monitoring and guiding equipment, but the method is simple, suitable for the early treatment of lumbar disc herniation, mainly by the pain department, interventional doctors to complete. Recommendation: Young patients should not do ozone and fusion nuclease treatment, which may easily lead to secondary pathological changes such as narrowing of the intervertebral space and lumbar instability. 4.Endoscopic surgery: treatment for the cause is done in a special operating room, mainly by orthopedic surgeons. Various monitoring and guiding equipment is required, and with the assistance of complex surgical equipment, treatment that used to require open or even fusion surgery can be accomplished. The requirements for doctors and hospitals are relatively high. The National Health Planning Commission has developed special regulations for access to four levels of surgery. When you see a doctor, 1-2 years later, you should pay attention to whether the hospital and doctor you see are trained in spinal endoscopy and whether they have a license to practice spinal endoscopy. 5. Access surgery: treatment for the cause of the disease, done in a special operating room. Surveillance-guided equipment is required and completed by an orthopedic surgeon. Can address a variety of complex pathological changes, although also minimally invasive surgery, the disadvantage is more traumatic than endoscopic surgery, rest and recovery time is longer. It also belongs to the category of spinal endoscopy management of the National Health Planning Commission. 6. Various fusion surgeries: treatment for the cause is done in a special operating room. Surveillance-guided equipment is required and completed by orthopedic surgeons. Can address a variety of the most complex pathological changes that require the use of internal fixation materials, and is the ultimate treatment for lumbar disc herniation and low back disorders. Advantages: does solve the problem. Disadvantages: traumatic, with the occurrence of degenerative instability of adjacent segments, etc., with the incidence of chronic pain in the soft tissues of the back, etc. The general principles of choosing a treatment 1. The principle of comparison: It means collecting a wide range of information and making a reasonable choice. Nowadays, the society is very, very rich in information, do not do anything more than ask, more than see. 2, the principle of the least trauma: under the premise of similar efficacy, choose the smallest treatment method. 3, the principle of step treatment: the method of treatment is rather small than large. If the efficacy is not good, then change the more traumatic treatment method. 4, the principle of no preventive treatment: lumbar disc herniation is a benign lesion, some patients can slowly relieve, not to implement and accept the ultimate or more traumatic method of treatment in order not to recur. Finally, bless the patients with lumbar disc herniation, find their agreeable doctors as soon as possible, choose to the right treatment method, and the whole treatment process is very smooth. Get well soon.