Objective To compare the short-term efficacy and occurrence of complication of endoscopic laminar fenestration (Endo-LOVE) and percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal decompression (PETD) in patients with degenerative lumbar lateral recess stenosis (LSLRS).

Methods A total of 160 patients with LSLRS were enrolled as study objects, and were randomly assigned to control group (treated with PETD) and observation group (treated with Endo-LOVE), with 80 patients in each group. Surgical indicators, occurrence of complications, and therapeutic effects were observed and compared between the two groups. Bone lateral recess angle, soft lateral recess angle, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score, pain score, and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score were compared before and after surgery.

Results The observation group had less intraoperative blood loss, and shorter operative and hospital stays than the control group (P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence of complications such as lower limb numbness, fever, and postoperative low back pain between the two groups (P>0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in preoperative bone lateral recess angle or soft lateral recess angle between the two groups (P>0.05). At 72 hours postoperatively, both angles increased in both groups compared with preoperative values, and the observation group had larger angles than the control group (P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in preoperative pain score, ODI score, or JOA score between the two groups (P>0.05). At 3 months postoperatively, JOA scores increased and pain scores as well as ODI scores decreased in both groups compared with preoperative values, with the observation group having higher JOA scores and lower pain scores as well as ODI scores than the control group (P < 0.05). The excellent and good rate was 96.25%(77/80) in the observation group, which was higher than 87.50%(70/80) in the control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion Compared with the PETD approach, the Endo-LOVE approach for the treatment of LSLRS offers shorter operative time, less intraoperative blood loss, and better short-term efficacy.