The success rate of lumbar discectomy varies. A 2021 meta-analysis found the rate of "satisfactory outcome" was approximately 80% for lumbar disc herniations, including L3–L4 herniations. A 2019 study involving 60 patients from a hospital in Guangdong province, China, found the success rate for lumbar discectomy is about 90%. The success rate of MIS versus open discectomy was comparable in both articles. The rate of herniation recurrence ranges from 1–25%, according to a 2022 review.