Transforaminal full-endoscopic surgery under local anesthesia for lumbar radiculopathy: Preliminary results

Transforaminal full-endoscopic spine surgery (TF-FESS) under local anesthesia is a minimally invasive approach for treating lumbar radiculopathy and is increasingly being used worldwide.

This case series reports the preliminary results for 6 patients with lumbar radiculopathy who underwent TF-FESS under local anesthesia between November 2023 and November 2024.

The patient cohort consisted of 3 men and 3 women with a mean age of 49±13 years. The mean operation time was 80.7±15.9 min, and the mean anesthesia time was 149.2±16.3 min. Significant improvements were observed in visual analog scale scores for back and leg pain after surgery, with respective mean decreases of 2.7±2.0 and 6.3±2.3 points. Oswestry Disability Index scores showed a mean recovery of 55%±10%. Patients could return very quickly to their daily activities within a mean of 1.5 days and to work within a mean of 2.7 weeks postoperatively. No complications or recurrences were reported during follow-up. The results were good or excellent in all patients according to MacNab's criteria.

The results in this preliminary case series suggest that TF-FESS under local anesthesia is a feasible and effective treatment for lumbar radiculopathy. J. Med. Invest. 73 : 129-134, February, 2026.