Spine surgeons have debated anesthesia for lumbar endoscopy almost as much as implant choice, and a new prospective randomized trial in Clinical Spine Surgery (August 2025) just poured more fuel on the fire.
The question: Is local anesthesia with 1% lidocaine (LA) a leaner, smarter option than general anesthesia (GA) for percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (PEID) at L5/S1 — the “problem child” of the lumbar spine thanks to its high iliac crest and tight working space?
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