TRANSFORAMINAL EPIDURAL INJECTION IN FAILED BACK SURGERY AFTER UBE

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) in patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) after unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) lumbar discectomy.Materials and Methods: Between 2022 and 2024, 14 patients who underwent single-level UBE discectomy and continued to suffer from radicular pain were included.Patients without motor deficit or obvious recurrent/residual disc herniation were treated with TFESI.Pain relief was evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS) and the MacNab criteria.Results: Mean pre-procedure VAS score for leg pain was 6.141.35,which significantly decreased to 2.641.75 at the 6 th week follow-up (p<0.0001).According to the MacNab criteria, 78.4% of patients reported "good" or "excellent" outcomes. Conclusion:Transforaminal epidural injection appears to be a safe and effective option in managing FBSS after UBE.More comprehensive prospective randomized studies need to be conducted.