Functional Outcome of Microscopic Lumbar Discectomy for the Treatment of Lumbar Disc Prolapse

Abstract Background: The majority of cases of back pain and sciatica may be traced back to a lumbar disc herniation (LDH). There has been a rise in the number of individuals diagnosed with LDH across all age groups. Aim of Study: The purpose of the research is to assess the surgical outcome of microscopic lumbar discectomy in selected patients with herniated lumbar disc in Neurosurgery Depart-ment at Banha University Hospitals. Patients and Methods: This prospective clinical trial involved 30 individuals of middle aged population who were presented with clinical symptoms of low back pain and radic-ulopathy due to lumbar disc prolapse who failed sufficient conservative treatment and were subjected for surgery. All cases underwent microdiscectomy at Banha University Hos-pitals through the period from January 2022 to June 2023. All patients had a preoperative L.S.S MRI at least four months before surgery. All patients had preoperative L.S.S X-ray A-P, lateral, lateral dynamic views and oblique views. Results: Hospital stay and surgery time were short. Sig-nificance improvement occurred in VAS and ODI; VAS en-hanced from 7.67±1.06 to 1.47±0.78 (p<0.001), and ODI enhanced from 73.37±7.8 to 10.10±3.8 (p<0.001). Also patient generally returned early to their usual activities. Complications were minimal including one case of csf leak (3.3%), one case of dural tear (3.3%), two cases of infection (6.7%) and 2 cases had intra-operative bleeding <300cc and had drains (6.7%). Conclusion: Microscopic lumbar discectomy in middle aged population is a safe & effective for cases with sympto-matic lumbar disc prolapse who failed proper non-surgical treatment. It offered short surgical time, short hospital stay, less complication, and excellent results, with early return to usual activities.