Paravertebral retropleuric microsurgery approach to the treatment of thoracic disc herniation. Personal experience and consideration of unsatisfactory results.
OBJECTIVE
The authors report their experience on the paravertebral retropleuric microsurgery approach to the treatment of thoracic disc herniation. The paper describes both the approach and its result and it further expands on the reason behind the few cases of unsatisfactory results.


METHODS
Twenty-three patients were operated upon for thoracic disc herniation between 1994 and 2000. The paravertebral retropleuric microsurgery approach was used in each.


RESULTS
The results were very satisfactory in 20 cases, with all symptoms completely disappearing. In only 3 cases we had unsatisfactory results.


CONCLUSIONS
We think that the postero-lateral retropleuric approach is a correct method for the treatment of thoracic disc herniation because it did not cause any significant bone intervention.
Cerillo
A
A
Chair of Neurosurgery, 2nd School of Medicine Federico II, University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Carangelo
B
B
Bruno
M C
MC
Panagiotopoulos
K
K
Santangelo
M
M
Vizioli
L
L
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome