There were 30 consecutive patients included in the study who underwent minimally invasive tubular microdiscectomy for recurrent lumbar disc herniation. The patients were followed for at least 1.5 years. The researchers found:
1. The average operative time was 90±35 minutes.
2. The average visual analog scale score was reduced from 5.9±2.1 preoperatively to 1.7±1.3 postoperatively.
3. There was a 90 percent overall success rate with patients reporting excellent or good outcomes on the Macnab criteria.
4. Five patients reported incidental durotomy without neurological consequences, CSF fistula or negative factors on the clinical outcome.
5. Two patients reported instability.
“The technique is an equally effective and safe treatment option for recurrent LDH,” concluded the study authors.
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