[Percutaneous lumbar nucleotomy with low-dose chymopapain, an ambulatory procedure]

100 patients, who underwent an automated percutaneous lumbar discectomy with low-dose chemonucleolysis, were controlled in this follow-up study after a minimum period of 2 years. They showed excellent or good results in 90% and fair in 8% of the cases. 2% of the patients showed unchanged symptoms. In 9% of the cases a microdiscectomy was necessary to reach this result. No severe intra- or postoperative complications like a postnucleotomy-syndrome were seen. A significant improvement was reached in radicular symptoms and back pain.