Incidence and Outcomes of Dural Tear in Open Versus Microscopic Single Level Lumbar Discectomy

Abstract Background: Incidental durotomy is a common complica-tion of lumbar spine surgery. It is more common in complicated pathologies and recurrent cases. Aim of Study: To compare the incidence and outcome of dural tears in open and microscopic single level lumbar dis-cectomy. Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis of the data of 40 patients divided into 2 groups was done. Group A con-tained open discectomy cases and group B contained micro-scopic discectomy cases. Results: The incidence of dural tears was lower in the mi-croscopic group, however, the correlation was not statistically significant. Additionally, the microscopic group had a signif-icantly shorter hospital stay and faster return to work. Dural tears were also found to significantly prolong hospital stay in both groups. Conclusion: Microscopic minimally invasive lumbar dis-cectomy could provide a lower incidence of dural tear and a better outcome for patients undergoing single level lumbar discectomy. However, further studies are required to verify the statistical significance of the acquired data.