Percutaneous laser lumbar disc decompression - mechanism of action, indications and contraindications.

This article describes the development of minimally invasive methods in the treatment of lumbar discopathy, with particular attention to percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD). The authors discus the therapeutic operating mechanism of PLDD, emphasizing the importance of the thermal characteristics of laser light, which is responsible for the vaporization and ablation of a small amount of tissue from the nucleus pulposus. This causes a significant reduction in pressure in the closed structure of the disc, and consequently reduced compression exerted by the disk on the dural sac and the nerve roots. Improvement in the flow of cerebro-spinal fluid has also been observed on the level at which the operation is performed. On the basis of our own experience and the reports of other authors, we have specified indications and contra-indications for PLDD. Our conclusion is that PLDD is an effective treatment method for low back pain and ischialgia caused by protrusion or herniation of the nucleus pulposus, with elimination or significant reduction in symptoms in over 75% of those treated; reduction or resolution of neurological deficits that arise in the course of lumbar discopathy has also been observed. This method enables one-stage treatment of multi-level degenerative changes in the intervertebral disc. The only absolute contraindications for PLDD are the presence of sequestration, disturbances in blood coagulation, and bacterial infection.