This document discusses a study analyzing the cost effectiveness and cost utility of treating lumbar disc herniation through conservative or surgical methods. The study finds that while conservative treatment has a slightly lower initial cost, surgical treatment via microdiscectomy leads to significantly better quality of life outcomes when measured over longer time periods of one to five years. Specifically, microdiscectomy groups saw greater quality results compared to conservatively treated groups. The document concludes that conservative treatment is barely cost effective and economically disadvantageous when quality of life measures are considered, as surgical patients can resolve symptoms and return to daily activities more quickly, increasing productivity and quality adjusted life years gained.