Devices for minimally-invasive microdiscectomy: current status and future prospects

Introduction: The current gold standard technique for lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is open lumbar microdiscectomy. The use of a tubular retractor system in the microdiscectomy technique can minimize tissue trauma by muscle-splitting sequential dilation during the surgical approach. This review aimed to describe the devices and surgical procedure of this minimally invasive microdiscectomy (MI-MD) and to discuss the pros and cons of the use of tubular retractors. Areas covered: Published medical literatures were extensively reviewed to summarize the practical devices and techniques related to the MI-MD for LDH. The placement of the tubular retractor by gradual muscle-splitting dilation technique may reduce muscle damage and postoperative wound pain. The use of flexible arm may easily change the tube direction and create a wide surgical field. Expert opinion: With reference to published literature, the MI-MD provides comparable clinical outcomes with less tissue trauma and early recovery. Development of devices for MI-MD is still ongoing. Extensive studies, including high-quality randomized trials, are required to establish a more practical and relevant MI-MD technique.