Comparative Analysis of Full Endoscopic Interlaminar Lumbar Discectomy and Lumbar Microdiscectomy.

Study design: Retrospective clinical study.

Objectives: The aim is to assess and contrast the results of full endoscopic lumbar discectomy (FELD) and lumbar microdiscectomy (LMD) for L5-S1 disc herniation, with a specific emphasis on postoperative pain reduction and surgical effectiveness.

Background: Although minimally invasive spine operations are becoming more popular, there is still little research on the comparative effectiveness of FELD and LMD.

Materials and methods: The research had a total of 50 patients who received surgical intervention for L5-S1 disc herniation, with 25 patients getting full endoscopic interlaminar discectomy and the other 25 patients undergoing LMD. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale for low back and leg pain, collected preoperatively and at the end of 1 week, 3 months, and 6 months postsurgery. Patient satisfaction was evaluated using Odoms criteria at the same intervals.

Results: The study included 50 patients (26 men, 24 women), with a mean age of 51.11 ± 13.76 years. The groups had no significant differences in demographic data. Back and leg pain Visual Analog Scale scores decreased more significantly in the FELD group after 1 week of surgery ( P < 0.001), although the declines at 3 months and 6 months were not significantly different between the two groups. According to Odoms criteria, patient satisfaction was favorable in both groups and significantly better in the FELD group than in the LMD group at 1 week postoperatively [excellent in 20 patients (80%) in the FELD group vs 9 patients (36%) in the LMD group ( P = 0.025)]. However, patient satisfaction at 3 months and 6 months did not differ between the groups.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that FELD offers significant early postoperative advantages over LMD at the L5-S1 level when compared with pain and satisfaction scales.

Level of evidence: Level III.