Full-endoscopic interlaminar surgery of lumbar spine: Role in stenosis and disc pathologies

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of full-endoscopic interlaminar operations for symptomatic lumbar disc herniations and lumbar canal stenosis and to compare their results with conventional open procedures. A comprehensive systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was performed for articles, including randomized trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials (CCTs), reviews, and meta-analysis with the following search terms: full-endoscopic discectomy, also known as percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy, interlaminar discectomy, endoscopic, and percutaneous stenosis decompression in various combinations. Results were analyzed for their effectiveness, safety, complications, recurrence rate, and learning curve, and compared with standard open procedures. Overall, the endoscopic techniques had shorter operating times, less blood loss, less operative site pain, and faster postoperative rehabilitation/shorter hospital stay/faster return to work than the microsurgical techniques for both disc herniation and lumbar spinal stenosis surgeries. The advantages and disadvantages of variations in techniques and choice of anesthesia are discussed. This comprehensive literature review shows that full-endoscopic surgeries for lumbar disc herniations and lumbar spinal stenosis are safe and effective alternative to open surgery. These can achieve the same clinical results with added benefits of minimally invasive spine surgeries.