Ipsilateral Radicular Pain Following Discectomy

摘要

Out of a series of 1016 patients operated upon for lumbar disc hernia-tion 64 underwent re-operation because of persistent or recurrent symptoms. Re-operation was successful in 81%. A successful outcome was usually achieved in patients with a recurrence of pain within six months following unilateral disc herniation at another level, residual disc herniation, recurrence of disc herniation, pseudomeningocele and epidural hematoma. In contrast, unfavorable results (19%) were noted in the rest of the operated patients, later than six months following primary operation for epidural fibrosis, lateral spinal (recess) stenosis or combined. MRI as diagnostic method and hemilaminectomy as a revision surgery, for ipsilateral radicular pain following discectomy, showed satifactory results that were compared with those of primary discectomy. Based on the results of this study, we can conclude that the operative findings and the pain-free interval between the two operations determinate the outcome.