Channel-assisted minimally invasive lumbar disc removal – an intuitive and safe minimally invasive spine procedure There are numerous methods of surgical treatment for lumbar disc herniation, the traditional method being open laminectomy and nucleus pulposus removal. In recent years, microendoscopic discectomy (MED) has emerged, and the latest advancement is the development of expandable channel-assisted microdiscectomy based on this approach. By creating an expandable working channel, the spine surgeon can precisely reach the surgical area and reveal bony landmarks without extensive muscle and soft tissue dissection, allowing for a minimally invasive concept that minimizes damage to normal tissue. The surgical efficacy is definitive and the method is done under the same direct vision of the surgeon as open surgery, with a clear guarantee of effectiveness, but with a minimally invasive concept accomplished with special tools. Together with the unique cold light source illumination makes the surgical view clearer and minimizes the irritation and damage to the nerve tissue during the procedure. Instead of operating under an endoscope, the operation is performed under direct vision with the assistance of a microscope or surgical magnifying eyepiece, and the surgical field has a good sense of three-dimensionality and wholeness, reducing the learning curve. The expandable working channel can make full use of the limited surgical incision and increase the variability of surgical access. The surgical indications are wider than for MED, and decompression can be accomplished in some cases of combined lumbar spinal stenosis. There is less bleeding and faster recovery, and the patient is usually discharged from the hospital 2-3 days after surgery. With this minimally invasive access system, 50-60% of the existing cases of conventional open lumbar spine surgery have the opportunity to achieve minimally invasive surgery, and its biggest advantage lies in the protection of the muscle attachment points of the core muscles of the spine to avoid muscle atrophy of the lumbar muscles that tends to occur after open surgery. The greatest advantage is the protection of the muscle attachment points of the core spinal muscles to avoid muscle atrophy, ischemic necrosis and denervation of the lumbar muscles that tend to occur after open surgery.