PERCUTANEOUS LASER DISC DECOMPRESSION FOR LUMBAR RADICULAR PAIN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF PUBMED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS

The most common causes of lumbar radicular pain are pathological changes in the intervertebral disc. Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is the most common cause of lumbosacral radicular syndrome. It affects 1-2% of the general population, burdening health services and the economy worldwide. Excessive scar tissue after lumbar microdiscectomy can increase postoperative pain. Postoperative fibrosis is one of the most important causes of failed back surgery syndrome after lumbar disc surgery. Percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD) is a minimally invasive procedure in which thermal energy produced by a LASER probe is used to reduce the intervertebral disc herniation located within the annulus fibrosus. Evaporation of a small volume in a closed hydraulic space (nucleus pulposus) leads to decreased intradiscal pressure. It causes a thermal "shrinkage effect" with the retreat of the herniated disc and the decompression of the nerve root, which reduces lumbar radicular pain. Previous research has shown effective reduction of pain after PLDD and only a small number of complications of the procedure itself. PLDD is a safe and effective procedure in well-selected patients. Unfortunately, there is still a need for extensive, randomized prospective studies on PLDD in lumbar radicular pain in order to confirm or dispute the results obtained so far.