SHORT AND LONG-TERM RESULTS OF PERCUTANEOUS LASER DISC DECOMPRESSION: A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY

Authors : Alper Ergin, Hasan Kamil Sucu, Selin Bozdağ

Pages : 140-147

Doi:10.18229/kocatepetip.1502773

View : 24 | Download : 44

Publication Date : 2025-04-28

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :OBJECTIVE: Decreasing intradiscal pressure has been reported to improve sciatica, caused by nerve root pressure in herniated discs and improve discogenic low back pain in some cases. Percutaneous laser disc decompression is among percutaneous methods to decrease the disc volume (nucleus pulposus). The authors aimed to present the effects of the percutaneous laser disc decompression on symptomatic patients with lumbar disc hernia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The clinical assessments of the patients s with complaints of low back and/or leg pain due to L4-L5 disc herniation were performed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) before percutaneous laser disc decompression. Early VAS values were recorded in the 2nd hour after surgery. Also, a clinical evaluation was performed using the ODI and VAS both 1 and 3 months after the procedure. The patients whose VAS values decreased by 2 points or more (out of 10) compared to the preoperative period were determined to have benefited from the procedure for these periods. For the long-term outcomes, ODI was used for at least 10 years of follow-up, and the triple Likert scale was used to evaluate patient satisfaction. RESULTS: Twenty-one L4-L5 percutaneous laser disc decompressions were performed in our clinic. The success rate of percutaneous laser disc decompression was determined to be 90.0% for the first three months based on the decrease in VAS values and 72.73% over a ten year period, according to the ODI. CONCLUSIONS: The success rates show that this procedure has achieved promising results for patients in both the short and long term. The advantages of this technique include the ease of use and its applicability as an outpatient procedure.
Keywords : Fıtıklaşmış disk, Lumbar vertebra, Omurga, Perkütan, Lazer cerrahisi.