Ho: Yag laser-assisted lumbar disc decompression: a minimally invasive procedure under local anesthesia.

The morbidity associated with open procedures for lumbar intervertebral disc prolapse has led to the development of minimally invasive techniques. Ho: LADD (Laser-assisted disc decompression) is a very cost-effective minimally invasive procedure. The procedure is carried out under local anesthesia. The patient can be mobilized immediately after the surgery. The study involved 36 cases treated with Ho: LADD for contained lumbar intervertebral disc prolapse. 35 cases were available for follow-up. There was a 91.5% success rate and a minimal complication rate. All cases adhered to strict inclusion and exclusion criteria and were evaluated with the modified Macnab criteria for the assessment of postoperative results.