Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy Under Local Anesthesia May Be an Alternative to Microdiscectomy: A Single Centre's Experience Using the Far Lateral Approach

We are excited to share our research published on PubMed, which evaluates the effectiveness and safety of transforaminal endoscopic discectomy as an alternative to traditional microdiscectomy for treating degenerative disc conditions. This study provides important insights into the outcomes and benefits of this minimally invasive surgical technique.

Study Overview

📊 Patients Analyzed: 201 patients who underwent transforaminal endoscopic discectomy
📅 Study Period: 2-year retrospective assessment
🏥 Surgical Center: Tertiary neurosurgical center in the United Kingdom

Key Findings

✅ Patient Demographics:

• Mean age: 41 years
• Male:Female ratio: 1.3:1
• Most common herniation level: L4/5 (53%)

✅ Surgical Outcomes:

• 95% of patients discharged within 7 hours post-surgery
• Theater time: Average of 110 minutes
• Pain reduction: From 7/10 preoperatively to 0-1/10 in 95% of patients at 2 weeks post-op
• 87% of patients returned to normal daily activities within 2 weeks

✅ Safety and Complications:

• No cases of CSF leak, hematoma, or infection
• 1% of patients experienced nerve root injury
• 6% had recurrent herniation, requiring microdiscectomy

Conclusion

🔍 Key Insights:

• Endoscopic discectomy using the TESSYS technique offers comparable outcomes to microdiscectomy, with minimal complication rates and rapid recovery
• Minimally invasive surgery provides a safer and effective alternative, especially in patients with degenerative disc disease
• While endoscopic discectomy may require greater expertise, our study supports its use as a viable alternative for treating lumbar disc herniations

🔗 Read the full paper here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26583835/

This study demonstrates that transforaminal endoscopic discectomy is a promising minimally invasive approach for treating lumbar disc herniations, providing excellent clinical outcomes with minimal risk.