Open AccessTransforaminal Endoscopic Treatment of Lumbar Radiculopathy after Instrumented Lumbar Spine Fusion
Author(s) -
Albert E. Telfeian
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
pain physician
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.31
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 2150-1149
pISSN - 1533-3159
DOI - 10.36076/ppj/2015.18.179
Subject(s) - medicine , foraminotomy , surgery , lumbar , retrospective cohort study , low back pain , discectomy , endoscopy , decompression , alternative medicine , pathology
Background: Transforaminal endoscopic discectomy and foraminotomy is a well-describedminimally invasive technique for surgically treating lumbar radiculopathy caused by a herniateddisc and foraminal narrowing.Objective: To describe the technique and feasibility of transforaminal foraminoplasty for thetreatment of lumbar radiculopathy in patients who have already undergone instrumented spinalfusion.Study Design: Retrospective study.Setting: Hospital and ambulatory surgery centerMethods: After Institutional Review Board approval, charts from 18 consecutive patients withlumbar radiculopathy and instrumented spinal fusions who underwent endoscopic proceduresbetween 2008 and 2013 were reviewed.Results: The average pain relief one year postoperatively was reported to be 67.0%, goodresults as defined by MacNab. The average preoperative VAS score was 9.14, indicated in ourquestionnaire as severe and constant pain. The average one year postoperative VAS score was3.00, indicated in our questionnaire as mild and intermittent pain.Limitations: This is a retrospective study and only offers one year follow-up data for patientswith instrumented fusions who have undergone endoscopic spine surgery.Conclusion: Transforaminal endoscopic discectomy and foraminotomy could be used as a safe,yet, minimally invasive and innovative technique for the treatment of lumbar radiculopathy in thesetting of previous instrumented lumbar fusion.IRB approval: Meridian Health: IRB Study # 201206071JKey words: Endoscopic siscectomy, minimally-invasive, transforaminal, fusion