Abstract
Spinal endoscopy has the stigma of being reserved for only a few that figure
out how to master the steep learning curve and develop clinical practice settings where
an endoscopic spine surgery can thrive. In essence, endoscopic treatment of herniated
discs specifically and nerve root compression in the lumbar spine in general amounts to
replacing traditional open spine surgery protocols with spinal endoscopic surgery
techniques. In doing so, the endoscopic spine surgeon must be confident that the
degenerative spine's common painful problems can be handled with the endoscopic
spinal surgery techniques with at least comparable clinical results and complication
rates. This chapter illustrates several complex clinical examples and proposes treatment
algorithms with pertinent pearls and tips for revision and complication cases.
Keywords: Complications, Controversies, Endoscopic techniques, Herniated disc.