Within a period of two years and four months the authors treated by surgery seven patients with myelopathy caused by herniation of thoracic intervertebral discs. The majority of the eight herniated discs was calcified and associated also with calcification of the posterior ligament. Decompression of the spinal cord was achieved most frequently by a lateral extracavitary approach (4 p atients). Two-level calcified hernia in one female patient was removed from a transthoracic transpleural approach. Posterior approaches were used in two patients. The selection of the surgical approach depended in particular on the extent and character of degenerative changes assessed by CT and MR. The tactics of operation were designed to prevent peroperative spinal cord damage. Improvement of the motility after surgery by 1 - 2 grades of Nurick’s classification, was recorded in six of seven patients, incl. patient with flaccid paraplegia. Impaired sensitivity was completely restored in four of six patients and sphincter disorders in three of five patients. An algic component was present in three patients. Local pain receded in one and radicular pain in another case after surgery, central pain receded substiantially in another patient. Indication criteria will in future be extended probably also in algic manifestations of herniations of thoracic intervertebral discs.

        Key words: disc herniation, thoracic spine, microdiscectomy