Minimally invasive pars approach for foraminal disc herniation

We present a retrospective cohort study on the outcome of patients with foraminal disc herniations (FDH) treated with partial pars resections using minimally invasive surgery (MIS) through a tube. FDH present a challenge due to the more lateral trajectory needed for their excision and thereby more muscle dissection and possibly facet resection. Forty patients, 19 women and 21 men with a mean age +/- standard deviation of 58 +/- 12 years, underwent MIS for FDH. Data on length of hospital stay, body mass index and outcomes were collected prospectively and reviewed retrospectively. Average length of stay following surgery was 1 +/- 1 days. There was one wound infection and four unsatisfactory results. Using the Macnab score, good to excellent results were achieved in 89% of the patients. Based on these results, MIS surgery with partial pars resection is an attractive option in the treatment of FDH with low morbidity and short hospital stays. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.