Loin-term outcomes and quality of Life after percutaneous lunlbar discectomy for lumbar disc herniation / 介入放射学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To assess the long-term outcomes as well as the living quality of the patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) after the treatment of percutaneous lumbar discectomy (PLD), and to discuss the influential factors related to the long-term effectiveness. Methods During the period of January 2000 to March 2002, PLD was performed in 129 patients with LDH. By using self-evaluation questionnaires of Oswestry disability index (ODI), Short Form-36 (SF-36) and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) through letter or telephone interviews as well as the patients' initial medical records, the related clinical data were collected. Statistical analysis was conducted by using Wilcoxon's rank sum test, Chi-square test. Results One hundred and eight patients (83.7%) were able to be followed up and 104 effective ques-tionnaires were collected. The mean follow-up time was (6.64 ± 0.67) years, the excellent rate (ODI score, 0 ～ 20%) was 71.15%. The average scores of the JOA and SF-36 was 23.66 ± 5.72 and 75.88 ± 25.57, respectively. The scores of quality of life were obviously improved in all follow-up subscales. Conventional operations were carried out subsequently in 9 patients as they failed to respond to PLD. No complications related to PLD occurred in this study. The age, course of the disease and the patient's condition at the time of discharge might bear a relationship to long-term effectiveness. Conclusion PLD is a safe and minimally-invasive technique for the treatment of LDH with quick and reliable effect, PLD can dramatically improve the quality of life. Many factors, such as the age, course of the disease and the patient's condition at the time of discharge, can affect the long-term outcomes.