A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME OF PATIENTS WITH LUMBAR INTERVERTEBRAL DISC HERNIATION TREATED BY MINIMALLY INVASIVE MICRODISCECTOMY

Abstract

Introduction: Low back pain is one of the most common complaints in clinical practice with life
time prevalence ranging from 65-80%. Lumbar disc herniation is the cause for less than 5 % of
back pain problems but is the most common cause of sciatica. Absolute indication for surgery
includes cauda equine syndrome and progressive neurological weakness. More often, surgery is
done to provide more rapid pain relief and disability in those patients whose recovery is
unacceptably low with non-operative treatment.
Materials and methods: A prospective study was conducted in the Department of Orthopedics,
Maharaja Institute of Medical Sciences, Nellimarla, Vizianagaram from January 2023 till
December 2023. A patient case report form was designed to collect patient related informaton.
Informed written consent was taken from the entire patient prior to interviewing the patient. All
patients aged more than 18 years, who presented to the outpatient clinic of the Department of
Orthopedics, Maharaja Institute of Medical Sciences, Nellimarla, Vizianagaram with complaints
of leg or back pain, or other neurological symtoms, supported by Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(MRI) suggestive of disc herniation, were included in the study.