Real-time video communication during percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy is beneficial to postoperative recovery: a single-center retrospective study.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of intraoperative viewing of real-time surgical video and communication among patients on postoperative recovery and satisfaction after percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy (PTED).

Method: Patients admitted to our medical center from January 1, 2021 to December 1, 2023 who underwent PTED for L4/5 lumbar disc herniation were collected. We finally included 77 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients were categorized into communication (CM) group (n = 39) and non-communication (NCM) group (n = 38) according to whether they had intraoperative real-time surgical video viewing and communication. Preoperative baseline data, operative time, postoperative hospitalization time, Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) score, lumbar Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, surgical complications and patient satisfaction were compared between the two groups.

Result: Patients in the CM group had less pain, faster functional recovery, shorter hospitalization, and higher satisfaction in the early postoperative period. The NCM group had a shorter operative time. However, patients in the CM group had lower VAS scores on the first day after surgery and at 1 month after surgery than those in the NCM group. And JOA scores were better in the communication group at the first week and first month after operation. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of VAS scores, JOA scores, and postoperative complications in the third and sixth postoperative months.

Conclusion: Allowing patients to watch real-time surgical videos and engage in intraoperative communication during PTED surgery is a feasible way to reduce early postoperative pain, accelerate functional recovery, and improve patient satisfaction.