Clinical Outcomes after Microdiscectomy for Recurrent Lumbar Disk Herniation: A Single-Center Study

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Spinal Surgery

Background:

• Revision discectomy is the primary treatment for recurrent lumbar disk herniation (RLDH).
• Clinical outcomes of revision discectomy are comparable to primary discectomy.
• This study analyzes outcomes of microsurgical discectomy for RLDH.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing microsurgical discectomy for RLDH.
• To assess symptom improvement and functional recovery after revision surgery.
• To identify factors influencing outcomes in RLDH patients.

Main Methods:

• 179 patients undergoing lumbar microdiscectomy for RLDH were analyzed.
• Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Prolo Scoring System, and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used for outcome assessment.
• Patient demographics, clinical factors, and surgical outcomes were recorded.

Main Results:

• 101 patients (56%) achieved good/excellent Prolo scores; 78 (44%) had fair/poor results.
• No significant differences were found in age, gender, BMI, diabetes, smoking, or interval between surgeries.
• Significant improvements in VAS for back and radicular pain, and ODI scores were observed (P=0.000).
• ODI scores showed a significant inter-group difference at 12-month follow-up (P=0.038).

Conclusions:

• Limited microsurgical discectomy is a viable primary surgical option for RLDH.
• The procedure offers significant functional improvement, particularly in ODI scores.
• RLDH patients without instability can benefit from microsurgical discectomy.