Comparison of microendoscopic discectomy and open discectomy for single-segment lumbar disc herniation

BACKGROUND: Lumbar disc herniation is a common disease. Endoscopic treatment may have more advantages than traditional surgery. AIM: To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of microendoscopic discectomy (MED) and open discectomy with lamina nucleus enucleation in the treatment of single-segment lumbar intervertebral disc herniation. METHODS: Ninety-six patients who were operated at our hospital were selected for this study. Patients with single-segment lumbar disc herniation were admitted to the hospital from March 2018 to March 2019 and were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group with 48 cases in each group. The former group underwent lumbar discectomy and the latter underwent laparotomy and nucleus pulpectomy. Surgical effects were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: In terms of surgical indicators, the observation group had a longer operation time, shorter postoperative bedtime and hospital stay, less intraoperative blood loss, and smaller incision length than the control group (P < 0.05). The excellent recovery rate did not differ significantly between the observation group (93.75%) and the control group (91.67%). Visual analogue scale pain scores were significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group at 1 d, 3 d, 1 mo, and 6 mo after surgery (P < 0.05). The incidence of complications was significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group (6.25% vs 22.92%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Both MED and open discectomy can effectively improve single-segment lumbar disc herniation, but MED is associated with less trauma, less bleeding, and a lower incidence of complications.