Comparison of the effects of microdiscectomy and interlaminar endoscopic lumbar discectomy on sexual activity.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes and sexual function of male and female patients who underwent IELD and MD due to LDH.

METHODS

The retrospective study included 72 sexually active patients aged 24-50 years. Patients were divided into four groups based on genders and surgical techniques. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (leg pain/LBP) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) tests were performed. International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) to evaluate the sexual functions of male patients; Female sexual function tests (FSFI) were used to evaluate the sexual functions of female patients, and the Hospital Anxiety Depression Score (HADS) test was used to evaluate the hospital anxiety and depression levels of all patients.

RESULTS

Mean age of the patients 39.8 ± 5.6. In all patients, a statistically significant improvement in three parameters (VAS-Leg, VAS-LBP, ODI) was observed in the post-operative period. However of note, the MD group had a statistically higher post-operative VAS-LBP pain score when compared with the IELD group (p = 0.001; p < 0.01). Both surgical interventions proved effective in increasing IIEF-5 scores, with the IELD group having statistically higher scores in the postoperative period. However, there was no such difference in FSFI scores in female patients with either procedure.

CONCLUSION

The results showed that both IELD and MD improved sexual function in patients with LDH, but IELD had a greater positive effect in male patients compared to MD. It was also found that IELD caused less LBP and more improvement in anxiety levels compared to MD.