Comparative Analysis of Clinical Outcomes: Microdiscectomy Outperforms Standard Discectomy in Lumbar Disc Herniation - Findings from a Single-Center Study

Unsatisfactory results from lumbar disc herniation (LDH) conservative treatment suggest referral of patients for neurosurgical treatment. The time required for such a decision is about 4-6 weeks. In most cases, surgery quickly relieves pain symptoms and restores patient functions. We consider two discectomy methods quite effective in our hospital: standard open discectomy (SD) and microdiscectomy (MD). Many retrospective studies have demonstrated the superiority of one of these techniques. Most studies describe microdiscectomy as a golden standard for surgical treatment of symptomatic disc herniation. METHODOLOGY An interventional study was conducted at Akbar Niazi Teaching Hospital ANTH for 2 years. The total Sample Size was 120 by random sampling, Patients were divided into two groups. All required information, including past medical history, was collected through a questionnaire. For clinical diagnosis and assessment, an MRI was done. In Group A, 60 patients underwent surgery by standard laminectomy (SD) and 60 patients were treated by microdiscectomy surgery (MD). The chi-square test was applied to determine statistical findings, and a p-value less than 0.05 was taken as significant. RESULTS Analyses of the parameters mean VAS values of lumbar and leg pain postoperatively, and within one month after surgery demonstrated statistically significant differences between standard and microdiscectomy (p<0.05). LDH surgical techniques have become more and more sophisticated over the last 40 years, but without substantial improvement in the functional and clinical results. Appropriate patient selection is a crucial factor for the postoperative outcome. Neurosurgeons should fully master the chosen technique for satisfactory postoperative results. Keywords: Laminectomy, Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures, Radicular Pain, Postoperative Pain, Treatment Outcome, Recurrence, Visual Analog Scale