Objective To explore the effectiveness of microendoscopic discectomy (MED) in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation. Methods A retrospective analysis of clinical data of 59 cases of lumbar disc herniation treated by MED was made. The experience as well as lessons was summed up. Results All the 59 cases were followed for 4~24 months (mean, 15 months). Clinical outcomes were determined according to the Macnab criteria, which revealed that 43 cases had excellent, 14 cases had good, 1 had fair, and 1 had poor outcomes (with postoperative paralysis), the “excellent or good” rate being 96.6%(57/59). Conclusions MED is the first choice for contained herniated lumbar discs. A successful MED depends upon proper selection of patients and skillful surgical techniques.