Inter-laminar micro-endoscopic discectomy versus microdiscectomy in single-level posterolateral lumbar disc...

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Procedures

Background:

• Surgical discectomy is an option for neurological impairments or conservative therapy failure.
• Techniques include open discectomy (OD), microdiscectomy (MD), microendoscopic discectomy (MED), and percutaneous endoscopic discectomy.
• MED offers benefits of MD and OD with minimal tissue damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the outcomes of microdiscectomy (MD) versus microendoscopic discectomy (MED) in patients with sciatica resulting from lumbar disc herniation.

Main Methods:

• A prospective clinical study involving 50 patients with single-level discectomy.
• Patients were divided into two groups: 25 undergoing MD (Group I) and 25 undergoing MED (Group II).

Main Results:

• Both MED and MD groups showed high rates of excellent to good outcomes (92% for MED, 88% for MD).
• No significant differences in patient satisfaction, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), or Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores were observed between the groups.
• Both techniques demonstrated equivalent efficacy in treating radicular pain.

Conclusions:

• Microendoscopic discectomy (MED) and microdiscectomy (MD) are equally effective for lumbar disc herniation causing sciatica.
• Both methods result in significant improvements in pain and function.
• MED, while having a learning curve, is safe and comparable to MD in outcomes and complications.