Transforaminal Endoscopic Thoracic Discectomy
The transforaminal endoscopic thoracic discectomy is a powerful approach for treating all types of thoracic disc herniations and, in recent studies, has been shown to minimize collateral damage,1 blood loss,1,2 postoperative pain,2 and spinal cord manipulation.3 This is the only approach that offers an unobstructed view of the ventral thoracic canal without extensive bony resection and without requiring entry into the thoracic cavity.
References
1. Komp M. Ruetten S. Full-endoscopic anterior excision of thoracic disc herniations, including giant and calcified discs with spinal cord compression: surgical technique and outcomes. Eur Spine J. 2023.32(8):2685-2693. doi:10.1007/s00586-023-07807-0
2. Bae J. Chachan S. Shin SH, Lee SH. Transforaminal endoscopic thoracic discectomy with foraminoplasty for the treatment of thoracic disc herniation. J Spine Surg. 2020:6(2):397-404. doi:10.21037/iss.2019.11.19
3. Konakondia S, Sofoluke N, Barber SM, Rimini SA, Siotkin JR. Outpatient endoscopic resection of large calcified thoracic disc herniation with caudal displacement. Neurosurg Focus Video. 2022:6(1):V/18. doi:10.3171/2021.10.FOCVID2112
