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Why Does a Herniated Disc Look Like Cotton Candy?

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Why Does a Herniated Disc Look Like Cotton Candy?

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Why does the disc look like cotton candy? I get this question all the time, and here’s the answer: 1. The disc’s center (the nucleus) is basically a hydrogel. During endoscopic spine surgery (done underwater), it soaks up fluid and gets fluffy, just like cotton candy. 2. I stain the disc using methylene blue to highlight tears and herniations. The mix of blue dye and fluffy nucleus equals that cotton candy look. And something I always do at the end of surgery before disc material is discarded, take a quick photo! That way, my patients can actually see all the pieces of caca poopoo that were pressing on their nerves and causing so much pain. It’s always one of those “Whoa, that was inside me?” moments!

Medical Disclaimer: The information in this video is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Surgical procedures shown may not be appropriate for all individuals. Viewing this content does not establish a physician patient relationship. Treatment decisions should be made by qualified healthcare professionals based on individual patient circumstances.

#medicaleducation #herniateddisc #cottoncandy #spinesurgery #endoscopicspinesurgery
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