Comparison of Three Methods of Open Discectomy, and Nucleoplasty with and without Ozone Injection on the Healing, Complications, and Postoperative Pain in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation

This study aimed to compare the effect of three method of open discectomy, and nucleoplasty with and without ozone injection on the healing, complications, and postoperative pain in patients with lumbar disc herniation.
In this clinical trial study, 180 patients with intervertebral disc herniation were divided into three groups of 60 patients. The first group was operated using open diskectomy method, and the second and third groups were operated with nucleoplasty with and without ozone injection. The severity of pain, relapse symptoms, and postoperative complications were followed up to 24 months later, and compared between the three groups.
Findings: The severity of back pain at preoperative, 14 days, and 1 and 3 months after operation was not significantly different between the three groups; but 24 months after surgery, patients with open discectomy had lower pain severity (P = 0.029). Up to 24 months later, 12 patients needed re-operation, 2 (3.3%) of nucleoplasty with ozone injection group and 10 (16.7%) of the nucleoplasty without ozone injection group, and the difference between the three groups was significant (P = 0.001).
It seems that the use of open discectomy method, in comparison with nucleoplasty with or without gas injection, is associated with a higher rate of cure and a less recurrence rate; although open discectomy is not accompanied by a getting rid of bed quickly, but had less therapeutic costs and less need for reoperation.