I had a disc operated on about 7 years ago, (lapidectomy?) due t0 severe leg pains. Fortunately the company provided us with private health, and when I got to the point where I could hardly get up, and was drugged with pain killers, I was refered to a consultant in Little Aston BUPA hospital (BHX) Three days later, I was given an MRI scan (another story) and the consultant showed me a perfect picture of the problem, the disc looked like a chisel trapping an electric cable against a wall in the fourth disc up,and he said when that was removed, the pain would go. A couple of days later he operated and I have never had a twinge since. Apart from the skill of the surgeon, the MRI scan was the clever bit showing exactly where the problem was allowing the surgeon to go directly to the spot with a minimum cut. The recovery time to medical back is about three months. This was after trying all the other remedies without success. Three collegues also had similar surgery about the same time, all with success, although if the disc has calcified around the nerve, the op can take a long time. Go for it.