• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.218-223
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• 2000

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a parenteral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent for management of post-surgical pain and its effect on hospital stay and long-term surgical outcome. Methods: Total of 40 patients undergoing lumbar discectomy were randomly assigned to two groups, receiving either 1) 30 mg intravenous ketorolac upon surgical closure, every 6 hours for 36 hours, and morphine IV PCA (intravenous patient controlled analgesia), or 2) only morphine PCA. A blinded investigator recorded; the visual analog pain scores, total postoperative narcotic consumption, complications by morphine PCA, length of hospitalization (from surgery to discharge), and long-term outcome at 6 weeks. Results: The patients who received IV ketorolac and morphine PCA reported significantly lower visual analog pain scores than patients receiving only morphine PCA. Cumulative morphine doses were significantly lower in the ketorolac group (P<0.001). There was no significant difference between groups in the frequency of side effects related to morphine PCA. Mean length of hospitalization was longer for patients receiving only morphine PCA, but there was no statistical significance. Six weeks after surgery, four (20.0%) patients who received only morphine PCA suffered persistent back pain. In contrary, all those patients who received ketorolac were free of back pain at follow-up (P<0.05). Conclusions: These results suggest that intermittent IV bolus ketorolac, when used with opioid IV PCA is more effective than opioid IV PCA alone for postoperative pain following lumbar disc surgery. However, this strategy did not contribute to early discharge from hospital after lumbar disc surgery. The effect to long-term surgical outcome was not conclusive.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.172-181
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• 2016

To describe the details of the foraminoplastic superior vertebral notch approach (FSVNA) with reamers in percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) and to demonstrate the clinical outcomes in limited indications of PELD. Retrospective data were collected from 64 patients who underwent PELD with FSVNA from August 2012 to April 2014. Inclusion criteria were high grade migrated disc, high canal compromised disc, and disc protrusion combined with foraminal stenosis. The clinical outcomes were assessed using by the visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and modified MacNab criteria. Complications related to the surgery were reviewed. The procedure used a unique approach, using the superior vertebral notch as the target and performing foraminoplasty with only reamers under C-arm control. The mean age of the 55 female and 32 male patients was 52.73 years. The mean F/U period was $12.2{\pm}4.2$ months. Preoperative VAS ($8.24{\pm}1.25$) and ODI ($67.8{\pm}15.4$) score improved significantly at the last follow-up (VAS, $1.93{\pm}1.78$; ODI, $17.14{\pm}15.7$). Based on the modified MacNab criteria, excellent or good results were obtained in 95.3% of the patients. Postoperative transient dysthesia (n=2) and reoperation (n=1) due to recurred disc were reported. PELD with FSVNA could be a good method for treating lumbar disc herniation. This procedure may offer safe and efficacious results, especially in the relatively limited indications for PELD.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.621-624
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• 1997

Conventional surgery for lower lumbar disc herniation is a common practice and its vascular complications have been reported rarely. If the hypotension is severe or prolonged postoperatively, one should suspect vascular injury and perform urgent laparotomy. We experienced two cases of major vascular injuries following semi-laminectomy and discectomy.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.147-150
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• 2010

Background: Chronic low back pain can be a manifestation of lumbar degenerative disease, herniation of intervertebral discs, arthritis, or lumbar stenosis. When nerve roots are compromised, low back pain, with or without lower extremity involvement, may occur. Local inflammatory processes play an important role in patients with acute lumbosciatic pain. The purpose of this study was to assess the value of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) measurements in patients with chronic low back pain or radiculopathy. Methods: ESR and hsCRP were measured in 273 blood samples from male and female subjects with low back pain and/or radiculopathy due to herniated lumbar disc, spinal stenosis, facet syndrome, and other diseases. The hsCRP and ESR were measured prior to lumbar epidural steroid injection. Results: The mean ESR was 18.8 mm/h and mean hsCRP was 1.1 mg/L. ESR had a correlation with age. Conclusions: A significant systemic inflammatory reaction did not appear to arise in patients with chronic low back pain.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.259-269
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• 2024

This case report describe the effectiveness of combination treatment with Korean medicine for chronic functional constipation after lumbar interbody fusion. A female patient was treated for constipation lasting more than 6 months after surgery for lumbar disc herniation. For assessment, we used a NRS and Health-related Quality of Life Instrument with 8-Item Questionnaire (HINT-8). To assess changes in stool appearance, we used the Bristol Stool Scale. After 2 months of treatment, the NRS decreased from 8 to 1, the HINT-8 total score increased from 25 to 13, and the Bristol stool scale also improved. This case suggests that combined treatment with herbal medicine can improve symptoms of chronic constipation.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.543-549
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• 2000

Objective : In contrary to ganglion cyst that commonly develops in connective tissue of peripheral joint or tendon, spinal ganglion cysts have been rarely reported. The authors report five cases of spinal ganglion cysts which originated from posterior longitudinal ligament of the lumbar spine. Methods : The authors retrospectively analyzed clinical, radiological, and surgical findings of five cases of spinal ganglion cysts and speculated the pathogenesis of spinal ganglion cyst. Result : Cysts were excised totally and symptoms improved without complications in all cases. Intraoperative findings revealed cysts that were tightly adherent to posterior longitudinal ligament. Conclusion : Five cases of ganglion cyst which caused similar symptoms and signs those of lumbar disc herniations were excised successfully. MRI and operative findings suggested spinal ganglion cyst of posterior longitudinal ligament were closely associated with disc degeneration which imply disc degeneration or herniation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of ganglion cyst.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.126-135
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• 2019

Background: Because of fear of reoperation and low efficiency, some patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) opt for Korean medicine treatment. Gold standard treatment is not present for FBSS, therefore both surgical and non-surgical treatment are possible. Studies of Korean conservative medicine for FBSS had a short duration of treatment and mainly pre- and post-treatment comparisons. And case of female patients who have worsened after childbirth is rare. The purpose of this study was to report long-term follow-up and rare cases of FBSS. Case summary: A 33-year-old female patient diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation complained with low back pain and radicular pain in the left leg after surgery in 2011. Acupuncture and decoction (Cheongpa-jeon, GCSB-5) were administered to her twice a day for about 6 years and 6 months. The patient's complaints improved with each hospitalization, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed a slight decrease in the size of the recurrent disc (L4/5) and a newly developed disc (L5/S1) that had deteriorated after delivery. Conclusion: Korean medicine could be used to manage the pain of lumbar spine FBSS patients for 6-7 years and to alleviate lumbago after delivery.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.13-26
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• 2024

Objectives This study aimed to examine the efficacy of Korean traditional medicine treatments for recurrent lumbar disc herniation by analyzing randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods The following 6 databases were used Korean studies Information Service System, Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System, Research Information Sharing Service, ScienceON, PubMed, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Only RCTs were selected. The risk of bias was assessed by Cochrane's risk of bias tool. Results A total of 10 RCTs were analyzed, which utilized 8 types of interventions, including acupuncture, moxibustion, warm needling, electroacupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, and chuna manual therapy. Acupuncture and moxibustion were the most frequently used treatments. There were 7 outcome measures, including the effective rate, visual analog scale, Japanese Orthopedic Association. The effective rate was assessed in all studies. Meta-analysis results indicated that warm needling therapy and traditional Chinese medicine interventions were more effective compared with the control. Conclusions In this study, warm needling therapy and herbal medicine interventions demonstrated beneficial effects. As the meta-analysis was conducted with only a subset of RCT studies, further large-scale, systematic RCT studies are needed.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.477-486
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• 2020

Objectives : Due to recent developments and the wide application of percutaneous transforaminal discectomy (PTED) in China, we herein compare its clinical effects with microendoscopic discectomy (MED) for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation in terms of recurrence and revision rates. Methods : Six databases, namely, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Ovid, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang, were searched by computer. The literature was screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the quality of the included literature was evaluated. After extracting the data from the papers, Review Manager 5.2 software (Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK) was applied to analyze these data. Finally, sensitivity and publication bias analyses of the results were conducted. Results : A total of 12 studies consisting of 2400 patients were included in this meta-analysis. A comparison of PTED with MED revealed higher postoperative recurrence and postoperative revision rates for PTED (odds ratio [OR] recurrence, 1.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01 to 2.53; p=0.05 and OR revision, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.18 to 2.64, p=0.006). Conclusion : PTED has a number of advantages because it is a minimally invasive surgery, but its recurrence and revision rates are higher than MED. Therefore, MED should not be completely replaced by PTED.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.681-690
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• 2019

Objective : To determine whether the outcomes of percutaneous epidural neuroplasty (PEN) are influenced by the type of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and evaluate the effectiveness of PEN in patients with single-level LDH. Methods : This study included 430 consecutive patients with single-level LDH who underwent PEN. Before treatment, the LDH type was categorized as bulging, protrusion, extrusion, and sequestration, while Pfirrmann grades were assigned according to imaging findings. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores for back and leg pain and success rates (Odom's criteria) were assessed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. Results : The mean preoperative VAS scores for back and leg pain were 6.90 and 4.23, respectively; these decreased after PEN as follows : 2.25 and 1.45, respectively, at 1 month; 2.61 and 1.68, respectively, at 3 months; 2.28 and 1.48, respectively, at 6 months; and 2.88 and 1.48, respectively, at 12 months (p<0.001). The decrease in VAS scores for leg pain was significantly greater in the extrusion and sequestration groups than in the other two groups (p<0.05); there were no other significant differences among groups. More than 70% patients exhibited good or excellent 12-month outcomes according to Odom's criteria. Subsequent surgery was required for 59 patients (13.7%), with a significantly higher rate in the extrusion (25.0%) and sequestration (30.0%) groups than in the bulging (7.3%) and protrusion (13.8%) groups (p<0.05). Nevertheless, subsequent surgery was not required for >70% patients with extrusion or sequestration. Patients with Pfirrmann grades 1-3 (14.0-21.5%) showed a significantly higher rate of subsequent surgery than those with Pfirrmann grade 0 (4.9%; p<0.05). Conclusion : Our findings suggest that PEN is an effective treatment for back and leg pain caused by single-level LDH, with the outcomes remaining unaffected by the LDH type.