J Korean Pain Soc.  2003 Jun;16(1):42-47.

Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression (PLDD): One and Half Years Experience

• Kim WO
• Yoon DM
• Kil HK
• Kim KW

Abstract

BACKGROUND
A percutaneous laser disc decompression(PLDD) is one of procedures used in the treatment for alleviating the symptoms of a contained disc herniation that will not respond to adequate conservative measures. We experienced the potential advantages of a PLDD, over those of conservative therapy and traditional open surgery, as a minimally invasive procedure in 11 patients, using an Nd : YAG laser. METHODS: The patients were selected on the basis of lower back and radicular pain, which would not respond to adequate conservative treatment of at least 1 month, observation of signs suggesting a disc lesion, imaging studies and a lumbar lesion only. Those patients with spinal stenosis and a previous history back surgery were not excluded from the study. All the patients were postoperatively evaluated, and again at 3 days, 1 week, 1 and 6 months and at 1 year. The follow-up evaluations of more than 6 months were carried out by an interviewer, and the patients current stati were rated on the basis of the MacNab criteria. RESULTS: A total of 19 procedures were performed. A standard posterolateral approach was made from the side of the herniation. An extrathecal approach was adopted in 7 trials on 9 patients with L5-S1 disc herniations. The MacNab rating yielded a success rate of 81.8% at the 6 month follow-up, with no complications. CONCLUSIONS: PLDD, using a Nd : YAG laser, in lumbar pain patients was a safe, efficacious and cost-effective alternative modality to open surgery.

Keyword

Discectomy; Laser; Minimally invasive; Percutaneous; Surgical procedure

MeSH Terms

Decompression*
Diskectomy
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Lasers, Solid-State
Spinal Stenosis