Indian J Orthop
-
Ideal surgical treatment for thoracic disc herniation (TDH) is controversial due to variations in patient presentation, pathology, and possible surgical approach. Althougth discectomy may lead to improvements in neurologic function, it can be complicated by approach related morbidity. Various posterior surgical approaches have been developed to treate TDH, but the gold standard remains transthoracic decompression. Certain patients have comorbidities and herniation that are not optimally treated with an anterior approach. A transfacet pedicle approach was first described in 1995, but outcomes and complications have not been well described. The aim of this work was to evaluate the clinical effect and complications in a consecutive series of patients with symptomatic thoracic disc herniations undergoing thoracic discectomy using a modified transfacet approach. ⋯ Thoracic discectomy using a modified transfacet approach can significantly improve the clinical outcomes.