Transforaminal Endoscopic Lumbar Decompression: Defining Its Scope and Limitations

Transforaminal endoscopic lumbar decompression (TELD) has emerged as a minimally invasive alternative for managing lumbar stenosis and disc herniations. While the literature consistently reports favorable outcomes, real-world adoption remains variable, with discrepancies often linked to surgeon experience and case complexity.

To evaluate surgeon perspectives on the clinical applicability of TELD across different pathologies and compare these findings with published evidence.

An international cross-sectional survey was conducted among spine surgeons. Responses were analyzed using Rasch modeling to assess consensus levels, with agreement categorized as strong, moderate, weak, or disagreement. Differential Item Functioning (DIF) and correlation analyses were applied to identify potential bias between neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons and to explore associations between pathologies.

Analysis of 128 surgeon responses demonstrated clear stratification of consensus across pathologies. Strong agreement was observed for posterolateral herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP), far-migrated HNP, and lateral canal stenosis, reflecting consistent confidence in the applicability of TELD for these conditions. Moderate consensus was found for central HNP and central canal stenosis, where responses were stable but showed slightly greater variability. In contrast, low agreement was reported for lumbar facet cysts and low-grade spondylolisthesis, underscoring areas of ongoing controversy and divergent practice patterns. The Q3 correlation matrix revealed both overlapping and divergent domains of surgical confidence. Positive correlations linked lateral canal and central canal stenosis (r = 0.116), suggesting that surgeons proficient in transforaminal approaches for lateral pathology may also extend these skills to central disease. Similarly, lumbar facet cysts and low-grade spondylolisthesis showed a modest positive relationship (r = 0.073), consistent with their frequent clinical copresentation. Conversely, negative correlations highlighted distinct areas of expertise. For example, central canal stenosis and posterolateral HNP demonstrated a strong negative association (r = -0.475), while far-migrated HNP correlated negatively with both facet cysts (r = -0.348) and low-grade spondylolisthesis (r = -0.317).

These findings suggest that technical proficiency in 1 domain does not necessarily translate to others, emphasizing the need for specialized training in complex or atypical scenarios. Refinement in training and technique positions transforaminal endoscopic surgery to redefine spinal stenosis care, moving past the entrenched notion that its use is confined to foraminal and lateral canal disease while central canal pathology belongs exclusively to interlaminar methods.

This study signals a shift away from the rigid notion that transforaminal endoscopy is limited to compressive painful pathology in the lateral canal while interlaminar approaches are preferable for central stenosis. In expert hands, modern endoscopic techniques demonstrate that low-risk transforaminal decompression can be successfully applied to more complex conditions, including central stenosis with or without low-grade spondylolisthesis. These findings emphasize the importance of advanced training programs to enable practicing spine surgeons to achieve outcomes comparable to those reported by key opinion leaders.

Psychometrically validated, high-quality observational survey study (see also Authors' Note).