Objective To investigate retrospectively the effects of surgical treatment for elderly patients with lumbar disc herniation. Methods A follow-up was conducted in patients who underwent surgery for lumbar disc herniation from July 1994 to November 2011 in our hospital. Ninty-five cases, (59 male and 36 female), aged from 60 to 85 with the average age of 70.3, were followed up for 3 months to 10 years with a mean follow-up of 35.7 months. The standards of Scoring System of Spinal Section of Chinese Orthopaedic Association (SSCOA) and Japan Orthopaedic Association (JOA) were used to investigate the differences in therapeutic effects between various surgery methods(discectomy or arthrodesis), decompression tactics(fenestration, hemilamine- ctomy or laminectomy) and follow up time(within 3 years, 3 to 5 years, or up 5 years). Results According to SSCOA, the total efficiency rate for lumbar disc herniation was 84.2%, whereas the rates in discectomy group and arthrodesis group were 80.5% and 87.0% respectively, without significant difference (P=0.694). Meanwhile according to JOA, the improvement rates in discectomy group and arthrodesis group were (60.89±32.62)% and (65.74±26.32)% respectively, without significant difference (P=0.636). The efficiency rates in fenestration group, hemilaminectomy group and laminectomy group were 80.6%, 91.3% and 85.4% respectively and without significant difference among groups (P=0.958), meanwhile the improvement rates were (59.84±29.84)%, (62.30±27.10)% and (62.94±31.96)% respectively, without significant difference (P=0.835). Of patients receiving follow-up within 3 years, 3 to 5 years , and up 5 years, the efficiency rates were 90.6%, 77.8% and 79.2% respectively, without significant difference (P=0.660), meanwhile, the improvement rates were (62.01±25.97)%, (55.06±35.89)% and (60.83±33.73)% respectively, without significant difference (P=0.811). Conclusion Discectomy group and arthrodesis group may achieve satisfactory results as treatment of lumbar disc herniation in elderly patients. Fenestration, hemilaminectomy and laminectomy may all have good effect. There is no significant difference in curative effects between various follow-up times.