title: Full-endoscopic interlaminar operations in lumbar compressive lesions surgery: prospective study of 350 patients - "ENDOS" Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Full-endoscopic operations of lumbar spine are truly minimally invasive surgical procedures. Endoscopic techniques have become the standard in many areas because of the advantages they offer intraoperatively and after surgery. With the interlaminar and transforaminal approach, two full-endoscopic procedures are available for lumbar compressive lesion operations. Our aim was to present and explain all aspects of the full-endoscopic operative technique, and presentation of results of lumbar discectomies and monosegmental decompression in full-endoscopic interlaminar technique performed during 3-year period in comparison with conventional microsurgical operations reported in literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  A series of 350 patients underwent full-endoscopic interlaminar lumbar discectomy, and spinal canal decompression, during a 3-year period, is analyzed. In addition to general and specific parameters, VAS and ODI scale are used as measuring instruments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In our clinical series of full-endoscopic operations 88% of the patients no longer had leg pain postoperatively, and 7% had only occasional pain. In 7 (2%) patients minor nerve damage resulted in transient paresthesias, and in 2 patients resulted in neurological deficit. Dural tear occurred in 8 (2.3%) patients, and only 1 had reoperation for direct dural repair. The recurrence rate was 5.7% (3.7% had reoperation). Resection of the herniated disc and sufficient decompression was technically possible in all cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The clinical results of the full-endoscopic technique are at least equal to those of the conventional microsurgical discectomy with advantages such as reduced tissue trauma, improved patient mobility, and lower overall complication rate. With the possibility of selecting the most adequate approach, lumbar disc herniations inside and outside the spinal canal, can be sufficiently removed using the full-endoscopic technique, when taking the appropriate indication criteria into account.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Hospital Center Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia - nhmarkovic@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marković
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Hospital Center Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Nenad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Živković
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Hospital Center Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Spaić
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Milan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Clinical Hospital Center Zvezdara, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Anđela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gavrilović
authors.affiliation: Department of Abdominal Surgery, Clinical Hospital Center Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Dragoš
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stojanović
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Hospital Center Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Vuk
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aleksić
authors.affiliation: Center for Spine Surgery and Pain Therapy, Center for Orthopedics and Traumatology of the St. Elisabeth Group, Catholic Hospital Rhein-Ruhr, St. Anna Hospital Herne/Marien Hospital Herne University Hospital/Marien Hospital Witten, Witten, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ruetten
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000601:surgery*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044583:Neuroendoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome