115 patients were randomized to receive either a percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD) or microdiscectomy for treatment of sciatica. The goal of this study was to determine if PLDD was a viable alternative to conventional surgical treatment. Results indicated that PLDD had comparable results for function and perceived recovery when compared to conventional microdiscectomy surgery and may be considered a viable alternative. However, it should be noted that reoperation rate was lower and the time to recovery was shorter in the microdiscectomy group.