The role of full-endoscopic lumbar discectomy in patients with neurodegenerative disorders: Technical note and short literature review

BACKGROUND: Motor neuron disease includes a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases with progressive courses and unfavorable prognoses. Here, we described a patient with a lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and isolated bulbar palsy (IBP), who successfully underwent a transforaminal full-endoscopic discectomy (TFED) without incurring the added risks of general anesthesia. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 58-year-old male with IBP had an LDH at the L4-L5 level. Avoiding general anesthesia, a TFED was successfully performed under local anesthesia with mild sedation. There were no perioperative complications, and the patient was discharged on the 1(st) postoperative day. The patient experienced complete relief of radicular symptomatology 1 year postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Here, we present a rare instance of a patient with IBP who successfully underwent a TFED for an LDH performed under local anesthesia utilizing mild sedation, avoiding the risks of general anesthesia.