Endoscopic Spinal Decompression from an Interventional Spine Physician's Perspective

Abstract

Mechanical low back pain conditions have been traditionally treated with open surgical spinal decompression. The approach to the spine has evolved towards using minimally invasive techniques, previously microdiscectomy and now endoscopic spine surgery (ESS). ESS has bridged the gap between the frustrations of conservative measures with opioid medications to open surgery with inherent surgical and anaesthetic risks. ESS offers a direct aware state means of localizing and treating neuro-claudicant back pain, referred pain and weakness associated with stenosis that fail to respond to rehabilitation, pain management or surgery. In this letter to the editor, I discuss the endoscopic spinal decompression from an interventional spine in view of a physician’s perspective.