Preliminary Italian Experience of Lumbar Spine Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression According to Choy's Method

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to describe the preliminary first Italian experience on lumbar spine percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD) using a Nd:YAG laser according to Choy's technique. PLDD is a minimally invasive technique for the treatment of a widely selected group of patients affected by herniated disc problems. Several studies, using a variety of different lasers used, have demonstrated its safety and worth. The current study is the first large PLDD series reported in Italy. Lumbar PLDD procedures, according to Choy's method, were performed in 92 patients. There were 53 male and 39 female patients, and their ages ranged from 21 to 79 years. All the patients were treated in the operative room according to aseptic rules. The overall results, evaluated with the MacNab criteria with a short follow-up (medium 5 months, maximum 12 months) were as follows: 76 patients (82.8%) showed excellent or good improvement, and 16 patients (17.2%) showed no or poor improvement. No complications were observed. These results, even though a longer follow-up is needed in future studies, have confirmed that PLDD (according to Choy's method) is a first-choice treatment for a large group of patients affected by herniated disc that is not responding to conservative treatment.