How to Generate the Superiority Evidence for Endoscopic Surgery for Common Lumbar Degenerative Conditions

Endoscopic spinal surgery affords the patient simplified and less burdensome spine care. Its superiority over open decompression surgeries has been long debated, and the current evidence is incomplete. The innovators and proponents of this procedure carry the burden of proof. The targeted endoscopic treatment of common spinal pain generators produces higher perioperative patient satisfaction than traditional spine surgery. This chapter discusses conventional spine surgery research's pros and cons of employing patient-reported outcome measures (PROM). They offer an alternative approach to establishing a better value proposition with the endoscopic versus open spinal surgery - the concept of durability analysis.