Laparoscopic Lumbar Discectomy

The developing field of laparoscopic spinal surgery is indebted not only to laparoscopy but also to the fields of arthroscopy and percutaneous microdiscectomy. These fields all share a common theme: the accomplishment of ever more advanced surgical procedures via minimally invasive approaches. The recent explosive development and application of these various techniques provides ample evidence that physicians and patients alike demand and expect a more refined approach to the spine. More than 90% of surgically significant disc disease occurs at the L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 levels. Reviewed here are the surgical techniques necessary for the safe laparoscopic exposure of the lumbar spine for the purpose of discectomy or fusion.