The Comparison of the Result of Epiduroscopic Laser Neural Decompression between FBSS or Not.
BACKGROUND
Epiduroscopic laser neural decompression (ELND) has been performed as a treatment tool for chronic refractory low back pain and/or radicular pain. There are some studies about the usefulness of epiduroscopy for post lumbar surgery syndrome, however, few studies about the effectiveness of epiduroscopy for patients without back surgery. We compared the satisfaction of patients who underwent ELND for chronic low back pain and/or radicular pain after back surgery and for the same symptoms without surgery.


METHODS
We compared the degree of satisfaction of patients after ELND between who had underwent the lumbar spine surgery and who had not retrospectively by chart reviewing. We divided 39 patients who had received ELND into two groups, one is the group of patients who got the lumbar surgery (group 1), and the other is the group of patients who did not (group 2). Their medical records including age, sex, previous treatment, duration of illness, degree of symptom relief were investigated. We compared each items between two groups.


RESULTS
The number of patients in group 1 was 17, and group 2 was 22. In group 1, 16 patients (94.1%) showed more than 'Acceptable', and 19 patients (86.4%) showed more than 'Acceptable' in group 2. There is no significant differences statistically in percentage of patients who showed more than 'Acceptable' in the satisfaction after ELND between two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
ELND provided satisfaction (more than 85%) for patients with chronic low back pain and/or leg pain regardless of previous back surgery history.
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Daejeon, Korea.
Dae Hyun
DH
Jo
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Daejeon, Korea.
Eung Don
ED
Kim
Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Daejeon, Korea.
Hyun Jin
HJ
Oh
chronic low back pain; epiduroscopic laser neural decompression; post lumbar surgery syndrome