ABSTRACT
Purpose The objective was to compare the traditional microdiscectomy with percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy for the treatment of disc herniations regarding pain, disability, and complications.
Methods Randomized clinical trial with 47 patients with disc herniations treated with 2 different surgical techniques: traditional microdiscectomy or percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy. Forty-seven patients were divided into 2 groups and monitored for 12 months. Irradiated and low back pain were evaluated with the visual analog scale. Surgery complications were recorded.
Results After surgery, the sciatica and disability improved significantly but without significant differences between the groups. Improvements in back pain were significant until the third month. There were no statistical differences between groups regarding recurrence, infection, and the need for reoperation.
Conclusions Endoscopic discectomy results are similar to those of conventional microdiscectomy regarding pain and disability improvement. Postoperative lumbar pain is less intense with endoscopic discectomy than conventional microdiscectomy only during the first 3 months. Endoscopic discectomy is a safe and efficient alternative to microdiscectomy.
Clinical Trials Trial protocol registration number: RBR-5symrd (http://www.ensaiosclinicos.gov.br).
- intervertebral disc displacement
- diskectomy
- percutaneous
- endoscopy
- prospective studies
- intervertebral disc
- microsurgery
Footnotes
Disclosures and COI: The authors have no competing interests to declare. There is no funding source. This article was revised and approved by an institutional review board. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
- ©International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery
- This manuscript is generously published free of charge by ISASS, the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery. Copyright © 2020 ISASS.