LAUSR

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficiency and safety of robot-assisted percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (rPELD) using a specially designed orthopaedic robot with intraoperative computerized tomography (CT)-equipped suite for the treatment of symptomatic lumbar disc herniation. MATERIAL AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed and compared the demographic data, radiological workups and patient-reported outcomes of 39 patients treated with rPELD and 78 patients treated with fluoroscopy-assisted PELD (fPELD) at our institution between January 2019 and December 2019. RESULTS Our data showed a single-shot puncture in rPELD group was significantly more precise compared to 4.12 ± 1.71 trials in fPELD group (p < 0.001). There was an overall reduction of fluoroscopy (21.33 ± 3.89 vs. 33.06 ± 2.92 times, p < 0.001), puncture-channel time (13.34 ± 3.03 mins vs. 15.03 ± 4.5 mins, p = 0.038) as well as total operation time (57.46 ± 7.49 mins vs. 69.40 ± 12.59 mins, p < 0.001) using the rPELD technique against the fPELD technique. However, there were no significant differences in patient-reported outcomes, length of hospital stay, and complication rate between the two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our data indicate that rPELD provides a precise skin entry point and optimal trajectory for puncture, which increases the success rate of PELD, thus negates the need for a revision surgery. However, further studies are required to confim the superiority and application rPELD technique.