The role of full-endoscopic lumbar discectomy in patients with neurodegenerative disorders: Technical note and short literature review

Motor neuron disease includes a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases with progressive courses and unfavorable prognoses. Here, we described a patient with a lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and isolated bulbar palsy (IBP), who successfully underwent a transforaminal full-endoscopic discectomy (TFED) without incurring the added risks of general anesthesia. A 58-year-old male with IBP had an LDH at the L4-L5 level. Avoiding general anesthesia, a TFED was successfully performed under local anesthesia with mild sedation. There were no perioperative complications, and the patient was discharged on the 1 postoperative day. The patient experienced complete relief of radicular symptomatology 1 year postoperatively. Here, we present a rare instance of a patient with IBP who successfully underwent a TFED for an LDH performed under local anesthesia utilizing mild sedation, avoiding the risks of general anesthesia.