Preliminary outcomes of percutaneous transformational endoscopic lumbar discectomy for elder patients with lumbar disc herniation

【Objective】To evaluate the preliminary outcomes of percutaneous transformational endoscopic lumbar discectomy for elder patients with lumbar disc herniation.【Method】From November 2009 to July 2010,80 elder patients with lumbar disc herniation were randomly divided into 2 groups: The traditional surgery group and percutaneous transformational endoscopic discectomy groups (PTED group). The index of operations, the preoperative and postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) of two groups were compared. The Oswestry disability index (ODI) of two groups at 1, 6, 12, 24 month of the follow-up were also evaluated.【Result】The average skin incision, operative time, the average blood loss, the number of cases using analgesic drug, postoperative stay,hospitalization time of PTED group were better than that of the traditional surgery group (P 0.05). The improvement of VAS in PTED groupwas statistically significant than that in the traditional surgery group (P 0.05). There was no significant difference in preoperative ODI between the two groups [(31.45±10.75) vs (30.56±8.69), P 0.05]. The ODI of two groups at 1, 6 month were statistically significant in the two groups (P 0.05), but the improvement of PTED group was better than that of the traditional surgery group (P 0.05). 【Conclusion】PTED has the advantages of smaller incision, less bleeding, less postoperative stay and hospitalization time, tissue trauma and quicker recovery. It is a safe and efficacious minimally invasive surgical technique for elder patients with lumbar disc herniation.