Endoscopic Anterior Cervical Discectomy (Disc Preserving)
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 25, 2025
Full-Endoscopic Transforaminal Approach for Lumbar Discectomy
Published on: September 8, 2023
Shailendra Ratre1, Yad R Yadav1, M N Swamy1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Superspeciality Hospital, N.S.C.B. Medical College, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India.
Background And Introduction:
Endoscopic anterior cervical approach has several advantages compared to conventional anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF).
Objective:
This video demonstrates a step-by-step procedure for endoscopic anterior cervical discectomy.
Procedure:
The patient is placed supine with the neck extended. A standard anterior cervical approach using about 3 cm skin incision is made and under "Easy Go" (Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany) endoscopic vision, the uncinate process and uncus are drilled. Only a small portion of the normal disc, posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL), and compressing disc is removed. The closure is done in a standard manner.
Results:
In 240 patients, the average postoperative reduction in disc height, operating time, and blood loss were 1.1 ± 0.2 mm, 110 ± 17 min, and 30 ± 11 mL, respectively. The average postoperative VAS score and Nurick grading improved significantly. There were no permanent complications or any mortality.
Conclusion:
Endoscopic technique is an effective and safe alternative to ACDF after attaining the learning curve.
