Microendoscopic versus open discectomy for lumbar disc herniation: a prospective randomised study

This report has been verified by one or more authors of the original publication.

112 patients with a single-level disc herniation were randomized to undergo either microendoscopic discectomy or open (fenestration/laminotomy) discectomy either posterior lumbar interbody fusion or posterolateral fusion, to compare the safety and efficacy of the treatment methods. Following radiographic and clinical evaluations over a 12 month period, the results indicated that radicular pain was reduced equally by the two methods, but that the length of hospital stay was shorter and blood loss was lower for the Microendoscopic Discectomy group. However, due to the complexity of microendoscopic discectomy, the operation duration took significantly longer.