Management of Lumbar Discectomy by Endoscopy and Conventional Microscopic Discectomy

Discectomy is the most common surgical technique to solve lumbar radiculopathy caused by disc herniation and nerve roots compression .

Currently, microscopic discectomy is performed as a minimally invasive surgery, thus reducing the impact of so-called conventional "open" discectomies.

Minimally invasive spinal surgery was developed using a retractor tube, a microscope, and an endoscope to perform efficient nerves decompression while preserving spinal cord stabilizing structures.

Although more technically demanding, discectomy with full endoscopy made possible a significant reduction of surgery invasive impact, thus making possible to broaden the field of endoscopic surgery indications.

This study is based on hypothesis that full endoscopic discectomy offers several advantages over traditional microscopic discectomy, including a smaller skin incision and therefore fewer scars and less muscle damage, lower infection rate, less blood loss, less painful post-operative recovery and shorter hospital stay length.

Inclusion criteria

• Patient, male or female, aged ≥ 18 years
• Patient operated under endoscopy for lumbar disc herniation between February 2020 and May 2022
• Patient operated by conventional microscopic surgery for lumbar disc herniation before February 2020
• Patient having been informed of the research and not opposing its data use as part of this research

Exclusion criteria

• None