Surgical Outcomes of Full-Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy in the Early Adoption Phase

Background  We adopted full-endoscopic lumbar discectomy (FELD) in 2019 with the assistance of the Japanese Society for Minimally Invasive and Endoscopic Techniques of Spinal Neurosurgery (JASMETS). This study analyzed short-term outcomes in our initial FELD cases and compared them with microdiscectomy cases performed during the same period. Methods  FELD was performed in 21 patients over a period of 2 years and 6 months (15 men and 6 women; mean age, 57.0±17.0 years). The transforaminal approach was performed in 8 patients, the posterolateral approach in 3, and the interlaminar approach in 10. During the same period, microdiscectomy was performed in 30 patients. Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores, operation time, blood loss volume, complications, and incidence of lumbar disc herniation recurrence were compared between the groups. Results  Preoperative VAS and JOA scores did not significantly differ between the FELD and microdiscectomy groups. JOA and VAS scores significantly improved in both groups after surgery. Operation time and incidence of recurrence rate did not differ. Conclusion  Spine surgeons who adopt FELD can achieve good surgical outcomes similar to those of microdiscectomy, even in the early period. Participation in JASMETS seminars and training and proctoring by a certified endoscopic spine surgeon were instrumental in our experience.