Functional Outcome of Micro Lumbar Discectomy in patients with Symptomatic Lumbar Disc Herniation

Introduction: Lumbar disc herniation is a common cause of back and leg pain. Though the majority of symptomatic lumbar discs can be conservatively treated, surgical decompression is indicated in a subset of patients. Micro lumbar discectomy provides excellent results in the short-term period with relief of leg pain and early return to work. Methods: This is a Retrospective study of 70 patients who underwent micro lumbar discectomy for symptomatic lumbar disc herniation with leg pain, straight leg raising test positive, MRI evidence of disc herniation, and failed conservative treatment of minimum 2 months duration. Patients with cauda equina, profound neurological deficits, multiple disc herniation, and previous lumbar spine surgery were excluded. All patients were surgically managed at National Trauma Centre, Kathmandu, Nepal, and had a minimum follow-up of 2 years Results: A total of 70 patients were treated with Micro lumbar discectomy Out of these, 40 (57.1%) cases were male, and 30 (42.9%) were female. The commonest level involved was l4/l5 (35%) followed by (14%) l5/S1 Conclusion: Functional outcome of micro lumbar discectomy produces excellent results and is still a standard surgical technique for symptomatic lumbar disc herniation with minimum resources and low postoperative complications