Comparison of endoscopic decompression to open laminectomy in patients with thoracic ossified ligamentum flavum - a systematic review and meta-analysis.

In recent years, there has been growing interest in an alternative approach for treating TOLF, such as endoscopic decompression, which minimizes the disruption of surrounding tissues. It is important to understand the advantages, disadvantages, and potential differences in outcomes associated with each approach. This comparative study aims to evaluate and contrast the effectiveness, safety, and outcomes of these two surgical techniques, open laminectomy and endoscopic decompression, in the management of thoracic OLF. The literature review was conducted on Embase, PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases. After a thorough screening of all search results, 14 studies were shortlisted, from which data was extracted, and statistical analysis was done. Pooled analysis was done to ascertain the intra-operative and post-operative outcomes after surgery for TOLF. Overall, 351 patients were included in the study for evaluation. 174 patients were operated on by open laminectomy, and 177 patients were seen in the endoscopy group. Decreased operative time was seen in the endoscopic subgroup. The mean length of hospital stay of 6.6 days. Both groups showed improvement in mJOA and VAS score. The recovery rate for the reported study cohort was 66.8%, with the Endoscopic surgical approach showing a positive correlation with the mean recovery rate. The dural tear was the most common complication, with a rate of 6.6%. The mean estimated infection rate was 2.7% and postoperative CSF leak was 3.7%, with a trend of significantly higher rates in the open subgroup. Both of the groups showed improvement in functional scores, VAS scores, and cross-sectional area. However, the Endoscopic decompression group experienced reduced hospital stays, operating times, and intraoperative blood loss. The most frequent side effects were CSF leak and dural tear. A few cases showed revision and infection. None of the problems differed between the groups.