Central Laminectomy Contralateral Lumbar Decompression for Lumbar Degenerative Disease using Unilateral Biportal Endoscopy: A Technical Note and Preliminary Clinical Results.

Abstract

Minimally invasive spine surgery can minimize damage to normal anatomical structures. Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic (UBE) surgery is being increasingly adopted as a minimally invasive technique. In this study, we performed a novel surgical technique named Central Laminectomy Contralateral Lumbar Decompression with Unilateral Biportal Endoscopy (CLCD-UBE) as a minimally invasive surgery for Lumbar Degenerative Disease. The purpose of this study is to present the CLCD technique of UBE and to analyze the clinical results. This study was a retrospective observational case series. Between January 2023 and December 2023, 41 patients underwent CLCD surgery by UBE. All patients underwent follow-up for more than 12 months. Computed Tomography (CT) was performed on postoperative Day 2. Pre and postoperative VAS scores, ODI scores and perioperative indexes were evaluated. All enrolled patients were successfully treated by CLCD-UBE. The mean age of the patients was 61 ± 9 years. The mean estimated intraoperative blood loss was 57 ± 9 ml; the mean postoperative drainage was 27 ± 10 ml; the mean operative time was 56 ± 7 minutes; the mean hospital stay was 4.7 ± 1.3 days. Postoperative CT revealed ideal neural decompression of the treated segments in all patients. VAS and ODI scores significantly improved after the surgery. There was no postoperative neurological deterioration. No excessive injuries such as spinous process fractures or spondylolysis were observed. CLCD-UBE demonstrated safe and effective contralateral spinal canal/foraminal decompression and discectomy. CLCD-UBE technique may represent an alternative minimally invasive surgery for the treatment of LDD.