Microscopically assisted percutaneous nucleotomy, an alternative minimally invasive procedure for the operative treatment of lumbar disc herniation: preliminary results.

Lumbar discectomy is one of the most frequent neurosurgical and orthopaedic procedures. In this study, a series of 43 consecutive patients operated with a minimally invasive technique referred to as "microscopically assisted percutaneous nucleotomy" (MAPN) is presented. After a follow-up period of 3 months, every patient was seen clinically, and after 12 months, telephone enquiries were performed by the first author. There were two recurrences. The results in improvement of sciatica and neurologic deficit corresponded to common microdiscectomy series with 80% excellent and good results. The MAPN method is compared with common microdiscectomy with regard to operating time, technical procedure, and especially in surgical indications. It proved to have the same effectivity in the treatment of lumbar disc herniations, however, with less approach damage.