Transforaminal Endoscopic Discectomy with Foraminoplasty for the Treatment of Spondylolisthesis

Background: Lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis is a common entity and occurs mainly in elderly patients. The trend in surgery has been to offer decompression with instrumented fusion based on patient-based outcome data and the inherent instability of the condition. Objectives: Transforaminal endoscopic discectomy and foraminotomy is an ultra-minimally invasive outpatient surgical option available to patients that does not require general anesthesia and does not involve the same amount of destabilizing facet joint removal as a traditional laminectomy and medial facetectomy. The purpose of this study was to assess the benefit of tranforaminal endoscopic discectomy and foraminotomy in patients with lumbar 4-5 (L4-L5) and lumbar 5-sacral 1 (L5-S1) spondylolisthesis and lumbar radiculopathy. Methods: After Institutional Review Board Approval, charts from 21 consecutive patients with L4-L5 or L5-S1 spondylolisthesis and complaints of lower back and radicular pain who underwent endoscopic procedures between 2007 and 2012 were reviewed. Results: The average pain relief one year postoperatively was reported to be 71.9%, good results as defined by MacNab. The average pre-operative VAS score was 8.48, indicated in our questionnaire as severe and constant pain. The average one year postoperative VAS score was 2.30, indicated in our questionnaire as mild and intermittent pain. Limitations: This is a retrospective study and only offers one year follow-up data for patients with spondylolisthesis undergoing endoscopic spine surgery for treatment of lumbar radiculopathy. Conclusions: Endoscopic discectomy is a safe and effective alternative to open back surgery. The one year follow-up data presented here appears to indicate that an ultra-minimally invasive approach to the treatment of lumbar radiculopathy in the setting of spondylolisthesis that has a low complication rate, avoids general anesthesia, and is outpatient might be worth studying in a prospective, longer term way. IRB approval: Meridian Health: IRB Study # 201206071J