Lumbar Endoscopy: Historical Perspectives, Present & Future

Endoscopy of the lumbar spine has traditionally found much broader adoption than those endoscopic procedures of other areas of the spine. Initially, a herniated disc was the target of endoscopic spine surgery techniques. Stenosis indications were later identified as technological advancements permitted. Many endoscopic spinal surgeries commenced in the domain of interventional pain management. Lasers and radiofrequency were applied to some of the procedures that nowadays are aided by direct videoendsocopic visualization of the painful pathology. In this chapter, the authors briefly reviewed the history of spinal endoscopy and its key opinion leaders. Giving credit to the most prominent pioneers of this fast-moving field sets the stage for what the reader is about to discover in this most-up-to-date publication: Contemporary Spinal Endoscopy: Lumbar Spine.