Clinical Outcomes of Percutaneous Endoscopic Laser Lumbar Discectomy.
- Author:
Won Sok CHANG
1
;
Sang Ho LEE
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: endoscopy; herniated discs; lasers; percutaneous
- MeSH: Back Pain; Cicatrix; Diskectomy*; Endoscopy; Female; Hematoma; Hemorrhage; Humans; Intervertebral Disc; Intervertebral Disc Displacement; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Mortality; Paresthesia
- From:The Korean Journal of Pain 2005;18(1):34-38
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
- Abstract: BACKGROUND: Over the years, disc surgery has progressively evolved in the direction of decreasing trauma and its invasiveness. Conventional open surgery has many complications, such as scarring, instability, bleeding and a relative high mortality rate. Minimally invasive spinal surgery is now an alternative to a traditional discectomy. Herein, we present an operative technique, and the early results, for a percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy in herniated lumbar disc disease. METHODS: 43 patients, including 27 men and 16 women, with ages ranging from 18 to 66 years, were enrolled in this study. All the patients showed a protruded or extruded soft disc herniation at the lumbar level on magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. A percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy was applied to the patients, and clinical responses evaluated using MacNab's criteria. RESULTS: 40 patients were regarded as showing successful responses (93.1%), and there were no severe complications, such as a hematoma, nerve injury, postoperative dysesthesia or death. One patient underwent fusion surgery for remnant back pain six month later. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that, in properly selected patients, a percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy is a safe, noninvasive and effective treatment modality for herniated lumbar intervertebral disc disease.
