General vs Local Anesthesia for Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy (PELD): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy with LA may be associated with greater short-term improvement in VAS back pain and ODI scores. General anesthesia may be associated with more durable pain relief but a higher complication rate. Further systematic investigation is necessary to determine what short and long term benefits are associated with PELD performed under LA and GA.