Abstract:[Objective] To compare the clinical efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) and minimally invasive transforaminal interbody fusion (MISTLIF) in the treatment of lumbar lateral recess stenosis. [Methods] 62 patients with lumbar lateral recess stenosis were retrospectively analyzed, 27 patients treated with PELD were divided into decompression group and 35 patients treated with MISTLIF were divided into fusion group. Perioperative indexes, follow-up and imaging results of the two groups were compared. [Results] Compared with the fusion group, the decompression group had shorter operation time, smaller total incision length, less intraoperative blood loss, earlier walking time and shorter hospitalization days, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05), while the intraoperative radiation exposure times were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The follow-up time of both groups was more than 12 months, and the time of full weight-bearing activity in the decompression group was significantly earlier than that in the fusion group [(44.6±12.6)d vs 57.7±10.0)d, P<0.05]. With the passage of time, lower back pain, leg pain VAS and ODI scores were significantly decreased in both groups (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the above scores between the two groups before surgery, 3 months after surgery and the last follow-up (P>0.05). In terms of imaging, at the last follow-up, the vertebral canal area and lateral recess diameter were significantly increased in both groups (P<0.05), while the lumbar lordotic Angle was not significantly changed (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the above indexes between the two groups before surgery (P>0.05). At the last follow-up, the spinal canal area [(165.0±7.3)mm2 vs (201.5±12.9)mm2, P<0.05] and the lateral recess diameter [(4.1±0.4)mm vs (4.9±0.5)mm, P<0.05] in the decompression group were significantly smaller than those in the fusion group. There was no significant difference in lumbar lordosis Angle between the two groups (P>0.05). [Conclusion] The clinical results of the two minimally invasive procedures are comparable, but compared with the MISTLIF technique with fusion, PELD technique with simple decompression is more rapid and less invasive in the treatment of lumbar lateral recess stenosis.