Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy for calcified lumbar disc herniation: A retrospective study

Abstract Background: Percutaneous endoscopic discectomy (PELD), which includes percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (PEID) and percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy (PETD), is a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) . However, studies on PELD for calcified lumbar disc herniation (CLDH) have rarely been recorded. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the PELD's clinical effectiveness for CLDH. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 45 CLDH patients who got PELD in our department from June 2018 to April 2021 was conducted. Patients were divided into two groups: the PEID group (n = 24) and the PETD group (n = 21) based on the surgical methods. The demographic characteristics and surgical results of the two groups were compared. Utilizing the visual analog scale (VAS) for leg pain, the Oswestry disability index (ODI), and the modified MacNab criteria, clinical results were examined. Results: PEID or PETD procedures were effective for every patient. There were no discernible changes in the demographics, postoperative hospital stay, operating time, intraoperative blood loss, or complication rate between the PEID and PETD group (p>0.05). When compared to the preoperative period following PELD, the leg pain VAS ratings and ODI scores were considerably lower at each follow-up time (p> 0.05), respectively. After surgery, however, there were no appreciable variations in the VAS and ODI ratings between the PEID and PETD groups (p>0.05). The PEID group outperformed the PETD group in terms of fluoroscopy times, although the modified MacNab criteria were equal in both groups (p>0.05). Conclusions: While PEID has a shorter fluoroscopy duration, both PEID and PETD are minimally invasive treatments for CLDH.