Overview
The lifetime prevalence of lumbosacral radiculopathy is 3 to 5 percent. The most common cause is a lumbar disc herniation. In 10 to 20 percent of patients, medical treatment is insufficient, and surgery is recommended. Lumbar discectomy is the standard surgical treatment. In recent years, minimally invasive techniques-and endoscopic approaches in particular-have become widely adopted.
The main advantage of these techniques lies in their reduced invasiveness, which allows for the preservation of muscle and ligament structures, with less extensive detachment and cutting. This preservation is likely to enable faster rehabilitation during the first few weeks and months after surgery, as well as a shorter hospital stay.
However, the available data focus primarily on medium- and long-term outcomes, and few studies have specifically examined early postoperative pain. Yet this immediate period is a critical factor, particularly regarding patient comfort, analgesic use, and length of hospital stay; it is a major determinant of the quality of immediate recovery. There is very little robust comparative data from real-world clinical settings evaluating the impact of surgical technique on early postoperative pain following lumbar discectomy.
In this context, this study aims to compare changes in short-term low back pain intensity following lumbar discectomy, depending on the technique used (endoscopic versus conventional open surgery), under real-world clinical conditions.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Have had radicular and/or lower back pain for more than 6 weeks despite proper medical treatment, leading to the decision to schedule surgery
- Have symptoms consistent with an MRI showing a herniated disc
Exclusion Criteria:
- History of lumbar surgery
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) type 1 or 2
- Multiple affected levels
- Cauda equina syndrome
- Unscheduled surgery
- Spondylolisthesis
- Significantly narrowed lumbar canal (Schizas C or D)
- Pregnant, laboring, or breastfeeding women
- Severe psychiatric disorder
- Unwilling subject who cannot give consent or cannot return for scheduled visits as per the protocol
- Person under legal protection (guardianship, conservatorship, or judicial safeguard)
- Person deprived of liberty by judicial or administrative order
- Person not covered by social security
