Chronic back pain is a recurring condition that affects a person’s everyday life. Common conditions are herniated disc and spinal stenosis caused by deterioration due to aging. If the pain does not go away with conservative treatment, endoscopic discectomy, a kind of minimally invasive spine surgery, might be recommended.
What is endoscopic discectomy?
Endoscopic discectomy/foraminotomy is done by making a small incision and using a tiny camera (an endoscope) to remove part of a herniated disc that is pressing on spinal nerves and causing pain. The size of an endoscope is only 0.8 centimeter. Bipolar and radiofrequency can be used to control bleeding. The surgeon can see the real-time image through the monitors. The surgeons have to be trained and must be experts in the field in order to perform endoscopic surgery.
Reduced rate of complications
Endoscopic discectomy reduces the rate of complications compared to the conventional surgery.
- Reduced infection rate (1-2%)
- Reduced dural tear (1-2%)
- Reduced rate of recurrent disc herniation (5%)
- Only small chances that surgeon have to change to conventional procedure
Candidates for endoscopic discectomy
- Patients with herniated disc
- Patients with spinal stenosis caused by degenerative changes of spine, joint segment, and spinal disc
Advantages of endoscopic discectomy
- Excellent magnification and vision in surgical field
- Less damage to surrounding tissue/bone/muscle
- Smaller surgical wound, less pain, less blood loss, shorter hospital stay
- Reduced scar tissue formation, no fibrosis
- No fibrosis causing difficulty in second surgery if needed
Post-operative care
- 1 night hospital stay
- You can immediately walk after the surgery
- You can go back to work and exercise by the 2nd week after the surgery
Endoscopic discectomy provides equivalent outcomes compared to the conventional surgery for herniated disc and spinal stenosis. The endoscopic surgery results in less pain, less blood loss, and shorter hospital stays. Bangkok Spine Academy provides holistic care with an international standard from JCI (Joint Commission International), aiming to reduce unnecessary surgery in order to achieve maximum benefits for patients. Our goal is to help you get back to doing the things you enjoy by providing you the best treatment available.