Objective To compare the surgical outcomes between microsurgery lumbar discectomy and microendoscopic discectomy for lumbar disc herniation. Methods A prospective study was conducted on the surgical procedures for lumbar disc herniation.The target of our study was a group of 33 patients who underwent surgery by microsurgery lumbar discectomy(MSLD group)and 36 patients who underwent surgery by microendoscopic discectomy(MED group).The items investigated were the operation time,amount of bleeding,duration of hospitalization,pre-and postoperative scores based on judgment criteria for treatment of lumbar spine disorders established by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score,visual analog scales (VAS,0 to 10) for lumbago and sciatica before surgery and at discharge,perioperative complications.Results The mean duration of follow-up was 2 years and 2 months (11 months to 4 years).There were no significant differences between the 2 surgical procedures in the frequency of the pre-and postoperative Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores or postoperative VAS for lumbar pain and sciatica,operation time and duration of hospitalization. Statistically significant differences were observed in amount of bleeding and operation time,but the differences were not large, and may not have been clinically significant.Conclusion Both microsurgery lumbar discectomy and microendoscopic discectomy are appropriate for lumbar disc herniation.