Diagnosis
Right L5-S1 foraminal or foraminal-extraforaminal disc herniation involving the exiting L5 nerve root.
Procedure and level
Far-lateral biportal endoscopic foraminotomy and discectomy; no fusion is described. Right L5-S1: one treated motion segment.
Surgical levels and level count
- Treated levels
- 1 level
- L5-S1
- Decompression
- 1 level
- L5-S1
- New fusion
- None described
One right foraminal target at L5-S1. Two portals and multiple video excerpts still describe one level.
One level means one treated motion segment, such as L4-L5. Decompression and fusion can overlap; their counts are not added. Counts follow the source description and have not been re-audited against private charts.
Clinical presentation
The previously published operative teaching material identifies a focal right L5-S1 foraminal disc target. It does not provide a patient-level symptom history, symptom duration, age, or examination record.
Neurologic findings
The operative target is the exiting right L5 root. A target root is an anatomical description; preoperative motor grades and sensory findings are not supplied.
Prior nonoperative treatment
Not reported in the available source.
Imaging and clinical concordance
The source describes a lesion within or lateral to the right L5-S1 foramen. No preoperative diagnostic image series is supplied with this teaching entry, so clinical-imaging concordance cannot be independently assessed from the video.
Reasoning recorded for the procedure
The teaching rationale is to reach the exiting-root corridor directly through a far-lateral approach. This rationale explains the demonstrated access route; the source does not document a complete patient-selection assessment.
Operative considerations
The published sequence demonstrates the foraminal corridor, bony decompression, disc-fragment removal, and inspection of the exiting root. The technical discussion emphasizes facet and pars preservation and careful handling near the dorsal root ganglion. Bilateral canal decompression and interbody fusion are not part of the described sequence.
Postoperative course
Not reported in the available source.
Postoperative imaging
Not reported in the available source.
Educational point
Distinguish the exiting L5 root from the traversing S1 root when naming an L5-S1 target. The number of portals, video clips, or decompressed sides does not increase the number of treated spinal levels. Technical visualization alone cannot establish clinical benefit or absence of complications.
Published images and video
Media are identified by their public source. Journal figures open at the original source; operative video illustrates a technical example. Imaging and operative appearances do not measure pain relief, function, or durable fusion.
Far-lateral operative sequence
Previously published de-identified teaching footage. The video duration is not the operative time. The sequence and its shorter excerpt count as one educational entry.
Reported observations and missing data
Values below are limited to what the identified public source reports; source charts were not re-audited for this website update. Operative-time definitions and observation windows may differ. Do not compare these values across surgeons or procedures.
- Operative time
- Not reported in the available educational summary.
- Estimated blood loss
- Not reported in the available educational summary.
- Hospital stay
- Not reported in the available educational summary.
- Complications
- Not reported in the available educational summary.
- Follow-up interval
- Not reported in the available educational summary.
- Validated patient-reported outcome scores
- Not reported in the available educational summary.
Evidence and further reading
These sources provide clinical context. They are separate from the source records for this case and do not verify its outcome.
Source, authorship, and limitations
Source material: Previously published far-lateral operative teaching by Hanjin Jang, MD. Reorganized from one existing operative teaching sequence. The short excerpt and extended video are not counted as separate cases. This is a technical example, not a complete patient case or outcome report. Patient-level eligibility and follow-up are unavailable. This entry was organized on 2026-09-11; this date records a website update, not a new clinical review.
Selection is educational. No population denominator, consecutive recruitment process, comparative group, or complete follow-up dataset is supplied. A missing complication field does not mean that no complication occurred. Published observations do not predict another patient's outcome.
No new private patient files were added in this update. Corrections and future clinical additions follow the editorial policy.
Suggested citation: Hanjin Jang, MD academic case collection. Right L5-S1 Far-Lateral Foraminotomy and Discectomy. Casebank, Case 08. Updated 2026-09-11. https://www.hanjinjangspine1.com/casebank/right-l5s1-far-lateral-discectomy