A strained or sprained lumbar spine can take a heavy toll on the sufferer if not diagnosed and treated timely. Thanks to the advancements in disc surgery, many spinal issues, including lumbar disc herniation, can now be treated with minimally invasive procedures such as Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy that let patients worry less about surgery and focus more on recovery.
endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) is the latest surgical method to treat lumbar disc herniation, involving decompression of the lumbar disc space to remove the nucleus pulposus.
There are several causes involved that lead to the development of lumbar disc herniation. If left untreated, the condition may end up causing disabling pain and residual neurological deficits (i.e., muscle weakness and loss of sensation) that reflect on the patient’s ability to perform day-to-day activities and affect their productivity and performance.
However, not all lumbar disc herniation requires surgical treatment, as it is estimated that around 10% of patients will eventually need surgical intervention. When it comes to surgery, the standard surgery for decades has been the classical open Laminectomy and Discectomy. This requires:
The outcome of traditional surgery is only acceptable with relief of symptoms in only 85% of cases with around a 15% recurrence rate. Adding to that are the complications of open surgery, including bleeding and loss of blood, injury to the Dura or nerve root, postoperative infection, and postoperative pain with slow recovery that may take few weeks with the possibility of developing chronic back pain.
Minimally-invasive surgery has evolved as the modern alternative to open surgical procedures that can give the same or better outcome with less postoperative pain and rapid recovery. It’s currently the golden standard in various surgical fields, such as: knee and shoulder arthroscopy, laparoscopic cholecystectomy and robotic surgery. While spine surgery has also adopted minimally invasive techniques, Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy (PELD) is the ultimate minimally and least invasive spine surgery (MISS) that is currently available for the excision of the herniated fragment of the lumbar disc.
In most cases, the procedure is performed under local anesthesia through a skin puncture (Key-hole) in the midline (Interlaminar approach) or away from the midline of the back (Transforaminal approach). Under X-ray control, a 7mm tube is inserted through the skin, subcutaneous tissue and muscles down to the level of the disc. An HD camera is connected to a special endoscope that has a working channel and fibro-optic light .The endoscope is introduced through the tube, and the view will be transmitted and projected on a high-resolution screen.
Under continuous saline solution irrigation, using special manual instruments, automated suction device and radiofrequency probe, the extruded disc fragment is dissected and removed. At the end, the skin is closed using one stitch.
After the surgery, the pain immediately disappears. The patient rarely or never feels any back pain nor leg pain. The patient also doesn’t require to stay in the hospital and is rather allowed to go back home immediately after the surgery. They can resume their routine activities or work in less than 10 days. The results improved to yield 97% good results with a recurrence rate of less than 5% and with minimal complications if any.
Currently, all cases of lumbar disc herniation are benefitting from this technique for being safe and effective. The patients demand to have this surgery for the treatment of their lumbar disc herniation, and their satisfaction with the result has made it the ultimate choice.
Before having a disc operation for your back, check first with our spine surgeons at the American Hospital Dubai. As we are committed to delivering the most advanced surgical care, our hospital is well equipped with state-of-the-art instruments and advanced technology that will allow our well-trained spine surgeons to do this operation and give our patients the best outcome. You can schedule an appointment with a Spine Surgeon for Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy by filling out our secure web form appearing below.
