Percutaneous "disc" disease treatment

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Minimally Invasive Spine Procedures

Background:

• Surgical removal of prolapsed discs began nearly 60 years ago.
• Surgeons continually aim to reduce intraoperative trauma in disc surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the evolution and application of percutaneous treatments for disc herniation.
• To highlight the importance of accurate diagnostics and the limitations of current minimally invasive techniques.

Main Methods:

• Review of historical surgical approaches for prolapsed discs.
• Discussion of percutaneous methods including chemonucleolysis and nucleotomy.
• Emphasis on the necessity of advanced imaging like CT and NMR.

Main Results:

• Percutaneous techniques like chemonucleolysis and nucleotomy have been introduced to minimize surgical trauma.
• Accurate diagnostics (CT, NMR) are essential for selecting appropriate percutaneous treatments.
• Current percutaneous methods are more indicated for protruded discs than prolapsed discs.

Conclusions:

• Percutaneous treatments for disc herniation offer reduced trauma but require precise diagnostics.
• These minimally invasive techniques have specific indications, primarily for protruded discs.
• Potential serious complications and side effects associated with percutaneous disc procedures must be considered.