Posterior percutaneous full-endoscopic cervical discectomy under local anesthesia for cervical radiculopathy due to soft-disc herniation: a preliminary clinical study

OBJECTIVE To the authors' knowledge, posterior percutaneous full-endoscopic cervical discectomy (PPFECD) has not been reported before as a procedure performed with patients under local anesthesia (LA). In this study, the authors report the outcomes of 25 patients treated by this technique, the surgical steps, and the procedure's potential advantages. METHODS Twenty-five patients diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy due to soft-disc herniation (SDH) were treated by PPFECD. The intensities of arm and neck pain were measured using the visual analog scale (VAS) and the functional status was assessed using the Neck Disability Index (NDI) preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Global outcome was also assessed using modified Macnab criteria, and outcomes were grouped as clinical success (excellent or good) and clinical failure (fair or poor). Complications were also recorded. RESULTS No patient was lost to the follow-up. Significant and durable pain relief and cervical functional improvement were achieved postoperatively. Clinical success was achieved in 24 patients (96%), including 22 excellent and 2 good outcomes at the last follow-up. No serious complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS The authors' preliminary experience indicates that PPFECD under LA is a feasible and promising alternative for selected cases of cervical radiculopathy due to SDH, though the procedure's effectiveness and safety still need confirmation from further studies.