Minimal invasive neurosurgical treatment of intervertebral foraminal lesions

Abstract

To investigate the effectiveness of minimal invasive neurosurgery in treatment of intervertebral foraminal lesions. Fifty-six patients with intervertebral foraminal lesions were divided into 2 groups: minimal invasive neurosurgery group (MG group, n=31) and traditional neurosurgery group (TG group, n=25). Their pre-operational clinical conditions, methods of surgery, duration and effectiveness of operation were analyzed retrospectively. Follow-up was conducted for 3-48 months. Twenty-three of the 25 patients in the TG group (92%) had their lesions resected completely and 2 of the 31 patients (8%) underwent subtotal resection. In the MG group 28 of the 31 patients (90.32%) had their lesions resected completely, 2 (6.45%) underwent subtotal resection, and 1 patient (3.23%) showed epidural remains and did not receive further treatment. There was no significant difference in the effective rate between these 2 groups. The operation time of the TG group was (188 +/- 35) minutes, significantly longer than that of the MG group [(140 +/- 26) minutes, P < 0.01]. Follow-up showed that all patients resumed their normal life except the patient with epidural remains in the MG group, and no recurrent patient was found. The minimal invasive neurosurgery is convenient, effective, and cheaper to treat intervertebral foraminal lesions. However, precise localization and intimate knowledge of the anatomy are important.