Clinical experience and results of lumbar microendoscopic discectomy: a study with a five‐year follow‐up

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of microendoscopic discectomy (MED) for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation over a five‐year follow‐up period. Methods: Between January 2000 and December 2002, 275 patients were accepted for MED in our hospital. A retrospective review was carried out on 151 of these cases with a mean of five years follow‐up. The study helped us to assess the efficacy of this technique in the treatment of lumbar disc diseases. Modified MacNab criteria were used to assess the clinical outcome, and the disc‐height ratio was assessed radiographically according to the Mochida's method. Results: According to the modified MacNab criteria, 78.8% of patients were rated as excellent, 13.2% as good, 4.6% as fair, and 3.3% as poor. Complications included five revision surgeries due to recurrence of herniation, five dural lacerations during operation, and three cases of vertebral/disc infection. The average disc‐height ratio was 76.25%. Approximately 57% of the patients maintained their primary engagement. Conclusion: MED is both feasible and efficacious for the management of lumbar disc disease. On the basis of the present study it is concluded that MED is better than open discectomy (OD).