Percutaneous cervical and lumbar discectomy ( PLD): The herniated disc is decompressed by X-ray fluoroscopic positioning, local injection of a small amount of local anesthetic, insertion of a special puncture needle through the paravertebral skin to the exact center of the diseased disc, insertion of a trocar along this fine needle, and clamping of the nucleus pulposus tissue in the disc through the trocar with a miniature medullary forceps. A band-aid is all that is needed for the skin, and most patients are able to be on the floor the next day. Percutaneous puncture disc myelotomy and aspiration is a treatment limited to discectomy, which reduces the pressure within the disc and relieves the herniated disc from the nerve roots and surrounding tissues.