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Transforaminal Endoscopic Lumbar Diskectomy Versus Open Microdiskectomy for Symptomatic Lumbar Disk Herniation: A Comparative Cohort Study on Costs and Long-Term Outcomes Publisher Pubmed



Saghebdoust S1, 2, 3 ; Khadivar F4 ; Ekrami M3 ; Mehrizi MAA3 ; Lajimi AV3 ; Zahmatkesh MRR1, 3 ; Pak N5 ; Jouibari MF2 ; Mirsaeed SSG6 ; Boustani MR2, 6
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Neurosurgery, Razavi Hospital, Mashhad, Iran
  2. 2. Department of Neurosurgery, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  3. 3. Department of Neurosurgery, Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
  4. 4. Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
  5. 5. Department of Radiology, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  6. 6. Department of Neurosurgery, Golestan Hospital, Tehran, Iran

Source: Journal of Neurological Surgery# Part A: Central European Neurosurgery Published:2023


Abstract

Background Transforaminal endoscopic lumbar diskectomy (TELD) is considered an effective treatment for lumbar disk herniation (LDH). There is a paucity of studies comparing in detail the costs and long-term clinical outcomes of TELD and open microdiskectomy (MD), especially in developing countries. Thus, we sought to provide a multidimensional insight into this matter by comparing the direct costs and long-term outcomes of TELD with those of MD. Methods The electronic health records of 434 patients with LDH who underwent either TELD or MD were collected from February 2011 to October 2014. Within a 7-year follow-up period, 412 patients, comprising 203 patients treated with TELD and 209 patients treated with MD, were fully evaluated. Patient characteristics, operative time, intraoperative blood loss (IBL), postoperative hospital stay, time to return to work (RTW), perioperative complications, and direct costs were collected. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and modified MacNab criteria. Results The postoperative ODI and VAS scores improved significantly in both groups (p < 0.001). In accordance with the modified MacNab criteria, the rate of excellent and good outcomes was 88.67 and 88.03% in the TELD and MD groups, respectively. There were no significant differences between the groups in the clinical outcomes and perioperative complications. However, IBL, hospital stay, and RTW were significantly reduced in the TELD group (p < 0.05). Twenty-one cases in the TELD group and nine in the MD group underwent reoperation due to recurrence (p < 0.05). Total inpatient cost per patient was $1,596 in the TELD group and $1,990 in the MD group (p < 0.05). Conclusion TELD for the treatment of symptomatic LDH could be an affordable strategy, providing certain advantages of minimally invasive procedures such as shorter hospital stay and earlier recovery along with comparable clinical outcomes to the conventional surgical method. © 2023 Georg Thieme Verlag. All rights reserved.