Procedural outcomes for patients who underwent surgery for far lateral lumbar disc herniation.
| Variable | Open (n = 92) | Endoscopic (n = 52) | P Value |
| Total direct cost of procedure, $, mean (SD) | 684 (785) | 1983 (438) | <0.001 |
| Length of stay, h, mean (SD) | 90.7 (208.9) | 13.3 (27.9) | <0.001 |
| Discharge disposition, n (%) | |||
| Home or self-care (routine) | 72 (80%) | 49 (94.2%) | 0.031 |
| Skilled nursing facility | 2 (2.2%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Inpatient rehabilitation facility | 0 (0%) | 1 (1.9%) | |
| Discharge/transfer to home | 6 (6.7%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Home health care | 10 (11.1%) | 2 (3.9%) | |
| Patient class, n (%) | |||
| Inpatient | 45 (48.9%) | 4 (7.7%) | <0.001 |
| Outpatient | 47 (51.1%) | 48 (92.3%) | |
| Duration of surgery, min, mean (SD) | 83.5 (42.6) | 35.4 (13.5) | <0.001 |
| Duration of follow-up, d, mean (SD) | 949 (732) | 506 (255) | 0.004 |
Note: Bolded values denote statistically significant difference (P < 0.05).