{"id":"fd868e79-9458-4658-a366-55a84e67ce0b","slug":"3d-navigation-guided-sublaminar-contralateral-unilateral-biportal-endoscopy-ube-for-migrated-foraminal-disc-in-the-lumbar-spine-a-technical-note-and-case-series","title":"3D-Navigation guided sublaminar contralateral unilateral biportal endoscopy (UBE) for migrated foraminal disc in the lumbar spine: A technical note and case series","authors":["Shailesh Hadgaonkar","Parth K. Shah","Parag K. Sancheti"],"abstract":"Background: Migrated lumbar foraminal disc herniation (FDH) poses a great challenge, requiring the facet joint resection and stabilization procedure. We used a contralateral sublaminar unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) approach utilizing O-arm navigation to preserve the facet and effectively resect a FDH. Methods: Through the sublaminar window, resecting the ligamentum flavum, performing a limited medial facetectomy using O-arm navigation, safely exposed the foraminal zone, allowing for the safe FDH resection. Results: Fourteen patients underwent this procedure between 2022 and 2023. Mean operative time was 75 min with minimal blood loss and no perioperative complications. Visual analog scale scores improved markedly: back pain decreased from 8.6 preoperatively to 0.8 at 12 months, and leg pain from 9.2 to 0.4. Radiological analysis showed an average 5.1% reduction in facet joint area without new instability or spondylolisthesis. Conclusion: Utilizing O-arm navigation, the contralateral sublaminar UBE approach enables safe, precise, and facet-preserving decompression for FDH.","thumbnailUrl":"https://sni-digital-videos.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/fd868e79-9458-4658-a366-55a84e67ce0b/featured/hero-1781557889953.png","publishDate":"2026-02-13T00:00:00.000Z","doi":"10.25259/SNI_1236_2025","categories":["Spine","Technical Note"],"fullTextUrl":"https://surgicalneurologyint.com/api/articles/fd868e79-9458-4658-a366-55a84e67ce0b/pdf"}