title: Long-term outcomes of patients with lumbar disc herniation treated with percutaneous discectomy: comparative study with microendoscopic discectomy.
abstract: We assessed the long-term outcomes of patients with lumbar disc herniation treated with percutaneous lumbar discectomy (PLD) or microendoscopic discectomy (MED). A retrospective study was performed in consecutive patients with lumbar disc herniation treated with PLD (n = 129) or MED (n = 101) in a single hospital from January 2000 to March 2002. All patients were followed up with MacNab criteria and self-evaluation questionnaires comprising the Oswestry Disability Index and Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. Several statistical methods were used for analyses of the data, and a p value of <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. A total of 104 patients (80.62%) with PLD and 82 patients (81.19%) with MED were eligible for analyses, with a mean follow-up period of 6.64 +/- 0.67 years and 6.42 +/- 0.51 years, respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, number of lesions, major symptoms and physical signs, and radiological findings. According to the MacNab criteria, 75.96% in the PLD group and 84.15% in the MED group achieved excellent or good results, respectively, this was statistically significant (p = 0.0402). With the Oswestry Disability Index questionnaires, the average scores and minimal disability, respectively, were 6.97 and 71.15% in the PLD group and 4.89 and 79.27% in the MED group. Total average scores of Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey were 75.88 vs. 81.86 in PLD group vs. MED group (p = 0.0582). The cost and length of hospitalization were higher or longer in MED group, a statistically significant difference (both p < 0.0001). Long-term complications were observed in two patients (2.44%) in the MED group, no such complications were observed in the PLD group. Both PLD and MED show an acceptable long-term efficacy for treatment of lumbar disc herniation. Compared with MED patients, long-term satisfaction is slightly lower in the PLD patients; complications, hospitalization duration, and costs in PLD group are also lower.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Zhong-Da Hospital, Southeast University, 87 Ding Jia Qiao Road, 210009 Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Gui
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiao-Tao
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jin-He
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Su-Yang
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Gao-Jun
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Teng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017587:Diskectomy, Percutaneous / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000601:surgery*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013812:Therapeutics; D055815:Young Adult