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Published on: August 7, 2018
Outcomes of Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression for Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Stylianos Kapetanakis1,2, Benjamin Cappin1, Mikail Chatzivasiliadis1
1Department of Spine and Deformities, European Interbalkan Medical Center, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Spine Surgery and Related Research
|June 15, 2026
Summary
Percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD) offers significant pain relief for lumbar disc herniations (LDH) and moderate success rates. This minimally invasive procedure shows a low complication rate, but functional outcomes require further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Minimally Invasive Spine Procedures
- Interventional Pain Management
- Spinal Surgery Outcomes
Background:
- Percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD) is an option for lumbar disc herniations (LDH) unresponsive to conservative care.
- PLDD serves as an alternative to surgical decompression for select patients.
- Reported outcomes for PLDD show significant variability across existing studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze the effectiveness of PLDD in adults with LDH.
- To evaluate the safety profile of PLDD, including complication and reoperation rates.
- To synthesize current evidence on PLDD outcomes for patient selection and future research guidance.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases.
- Inclusion of adult PLDD studies reporting clinical outcomes; random-effects models for meta-analysis.
- Primary outcomes: Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain reduction and clinical success; Secondary outcomes: Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), reoperation, and complication rates.
Main Results:
- Pooled VAS pain reduction of 4.33 points (95% CI 3.03-5.64) across 8 studies (n=506).
- Pooled clinical success rate of 73.8% (95% CI 55.9%-86.2%) across 5 studies (n=298).
- Pooled complication rate of 1.3% (95% CI 0.4%-3.9%) across 10 studies (n=750); reoperation rate of 10.3% (95% CI 6.3%-16.5%).
Conclusions:
- PLDD demonstrates meaningful pain reduction and moderate clinical success in selected LDH patients.
- The procedure is associated with a very low complication rate.
- Further high-quality comparative studies are necessary to optimize patient selection and define long-term results.
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