Since Mixter and Barrinitially reported on the surgical treatment of lumbar disc herni-ation in 1934, numerous basic and clinical studies have been done. The operative treatment for the lumbar disc ...hernia has been improved from initial laminectomy, osteoplastic hem-ilaminectomy to partial laminectomy (Love's method and modified Love's method). Among numerous improved methods, Love's method has been considered to be the most excellent method with minimal operative removal of bone and has prevalently been used. However, there have been only a few reports on the postoperative treatment and rehabilitation after the Love's method. It can be said that there are many varieties in the method of postoper-ative treatment, period of bed rest and ambulation. Since 1975, we have established a program of the postoperative treatment and applied it on 111 cases of the operated patients. The purpose of this program is to obtain early ambulation and early discharge from the hospital within 2 weeks after the surgery, as re-ported by Crenshaw. This program was based mainly on our clinical experience more than 300 cases of oper-ative treatment of disc hernia. The details of this program are as follows: (1) Urination was done through the catheter which was set preoperatively and kept open at desire to water. The catheter was removed within 24 hours postoperatively. (2) The cast bed was not used. The, patient was put in supine position on the bed, knees and hips with slight flexion. Elevation exercise of the lower extremities was initiated on the operated day. (3) Change of body position was started one day after the surgery. (4) Standing and ambu-lation with assistant or walker were started 2 or 3 days after the surgery. (5) Heat to the lower back was applied after the removal of the suture. (6) Discharge from the hospi-tal was in 2 weeks. (7) Deskwork was permitted after one month of the surgery. Return to the heavy work was permitted in 2 months. The results obtained by the application of this program were as follows: ambulation was at 4.1 days (on average)postoperatively: hospitalization for 18.4 days: returnto the deskwork in 34.1 days, to heavy work in 63.8 days. Postoperative follow-up was done mainly on evaluation of lumbago, pain in the lower limbs, SLR test, sensory disturbances and muscle atrophy. Short term follow-up was in one month after surgery, long term follow-up after one year. Lumbago and discomfort in the lower back remained in 25% of the operated patients, which was almost the same results as other reporters. Other symptoms were relieved completely by the surgery. There was no instability of the operated lumbar columns, except for one case with discitis. The operation was highly appreciated by the operated patients.
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