Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy (Early Experience)

Background: With the advent of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD), a novel posterolateral method has been developed for decompressing the lumbar disc space and removing the nucleus pulposus. In April 1987, the authors brought the method to Germany. Individuals whose lorsal longitudinal ligament is intact and who have non-equestrated lumbar disc herniation are good candidates for this procedure. Under local anesthesia, the disc's dorsal lateral border is accessed by a working cannula with an outside diameter of 5 mm. Using anulus trephines to open the disc space and a combination of flexible and stiff forceps, as well as automated shaver devices, the nucleus pulposus is removed under intermittent endoscopic control (discoscopy). Our goal in writing this review is to provide…