transForaMinal endosCopiC disCeCtoMy

Today, minimally invasive surgical approach in spinal surgery is increasingly becoming popular. Microdiscectomy has been gold standard since 1990. However, in certain centers endoscopic discectomy techniques started to be used. 13,14,21,22 Today, in East Asia, 30% of the discs are operated endoscopically. And this gives us the signals that the surgical method will change in the future. Transforaminal endoscopic discectomy (TFED) is generally accepted. While looking at the history of technique, firstly Smith has been started chemopapin application in 1963, than later Hijikata5 and Craig4 developed the percutaneous nucleotomy. After the 1980’s endoscopic discectomy has been started-up. The aim in here has been to make root and the channel visible by endoscope. In first endoscopic discectomies, discectomy has been made only from the bladder but in new concept entering from the foramen is adopted. The concept related to transforaminal endoscopic technique was defined by Kambin and Gellman for the first time 11, and then was developed by Yeung. 22 In recent years, a lot of surgeons have demonstrated their techniques6-8,16-18. In the first studies, they reported success rate of 88,2% in foraminal and extra foraminal herniation with arthroscopic discec tomy.2,3,9,10,14,15,17,19-21 Nowadays, many of surgeons use different transforaminal techniques. The main differences in TFED systems are due to the operating position (lateral or prone), the diameter of working cannula, foraminotomy method (manually rasping or round using) automatic or manual discectomy, and the use of laser (using or non-using). Whichever the method using, AP and lateral scopic imaging is used.