Beyond the Microscope: Is Endoscopic Discectomy the Next Gold Standard for Lumbar Disc Herniation?

ABSTRACT:

Objective

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare endoscopic discectomy (ED) with microdiscectomy (MD) for lumbar disc herniation, evaluating patient-reported outcomes, perioperative parameters, and complications to determine if ED could replace MD as the gold standard.

Methods

Following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines, we searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science (January 2000-June 2025) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort studies comparing MD with ED subtypes (transforaminal endoscopic lumbar discectomy [TELD], interlaminar endoscopic lumbar discectomy [IELD], and unilateral biportal endoscopy [UBE]). Outcomes included Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), visual analog

SUBMITTER: Santipas B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12890386 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature