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Extent of Lumbar Discectomy in Modern-Day Neurosurgery

2013; Elsevier BV; Volume: 82; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.wneu.2013.03.008

1878-8769

Paul E. Kaloostian, Ziya L. Gokaslan,

Spinal Fractures and Fixation Techniques

umbar disc herniation is one of the most common pathologic conditions affecting the lumbar spine, with an inciL dence of 1% to 2% inNorthAmerica andwith over 300,000 lumbar discectomies performed annually (5, 7, 10, 11). Although routine lumbarmicrodiscectomies decrease leg pain and disability, same-level recurrent lumbar discherniation is a complication that is not infrequent. Recurrent disc herniation in this setting is noted in multiple published studies to be within the range of 3% to 18%, and recurrence of radiculopathy is seen in 17% to 33%. This not only contributes to increased patient cost, but also dramatically increases the economic burden to the United States health care system, not to mention economic cost from patient missed work days (4, 8). In fact, Ambrossi et al. estimated that reoperation led to a normalized cost of $298,797 per 100 primary discectomies (1).