A study published in the International Journal of Spine Surgery examined whether transforaminal decompression for lumbar foraminal and lateral recess stenosis was safe and effective in the outpatient setting.
The retrospective study comprised 1,839 patients who underwent percutaneous endoscopic surgery at 2,076 levels between 2006 and 2015. Researchers identified readmission rates following endoscopic foraminotomy and microdiscectomy. Only patients with unilateral radiculopathy due to either herniated discs or lateral recess stenosis were included in this study.
Here are five study findings:
1. Around 82.2 percent of patients with extruded disc fragments reported excellent and good results postoperatively, according to Macnab criteria.
2. The mean Visual Analog Score decreased from 5.9 ± 2.5 preoperatively to 2.4 ± 1.8 at the final follow-up.
3. Patients with contained herniations experienced excellent and good results 72.7 percent of the time with mean VAS decreasing from 7.2 ± 1.6 preoperatively to 3.1 ± 1.5 at the final follow-up.
4. For spinal stenosis patients, 75 percent reported excellent and good results.
5. Overall, there were no major approach-related complications. There were 26 acute care postoperative emergency room visits within six weeks postoperatively.
"Transforaminal endoscopic decompression can be successfully carried out in an outpatient surgery center setting," the study author Kai-Uwe Lewandrowski, MD, concluded. "Readmissions due to reherniations, postoperative complications or poor pain control are uncommon."