Surgery of Thoracic Disc Herniation: A Systematic Review of English-Language Literature

Abstract

The presented review of scientific publications from the Medline (PubMed) and Scopus databases considers modern surgical approaches used to remove intervertebral hernias in the thoracic spine. The advantages and disadvantages of anterior and posterior approaches are analyzed. It has been revealed that the anterior approaches, providing a good opportunity to remove a hernia, are associated with the risk of serious complications, including pulmonary ones, and often lead to the formation of a post-thoracotomy pain syndrome. Mini-thoracotomy and percutaneous thoracoscopy, although less invasive, do not exclude the development of complications inherent in conventional thoracotomy. Modern posterior approaches are less traumatic and allow, with minimal contact with the spinal cord, to successfully remove not only soft tissue, but also ossified disc herniation. The choice of the optimal method of discectomy remains an unsolved problem and depends on practical skills, experience and preferences of the surgeon. For an objective and reliable assessment of the efficiency of surgical technologies and the determination of optimal indications for each of them, a prospective multicenter study is necessary.