Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Spine surgery has changed over the last two decades. Procedures that once required a long open incision and pulling the back muscles aside are now done through small incisions, often using a tubular retractor that holds the muscle open instead of cutting it. That means less tissue trauma and a faster recovery, and many of these procedures are done on an outpatient basis with same-day discharge.

The criteria for surgery are the same as they are for open surgery. It's considered when a period of non-surgical treatment has not relieved the symptoms, and when imaging confirms the specific problem causing them.

Three Ways to Approach a Lumbar Fusion

Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)

The spine is approached from the back, slightly off to the side, which reduces how much the nerve has to be moved to reach the disc space. Retractors are placed on either side of the spine, and the disc is removed and replaced with bone graft and screws.

Minimally Invasive Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)

The spine is approached from the front, through the abdomen, the same approach used for lumbar disc replacement. Because the approach comes from the front, the back muscles are never touched.

Minimally Invasive Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion (LLIF)

The spine is approached from the side. This avoids pulling on the nerves inside the spinal canal and doesn't disturb the back muscles, which is why it's often used at levels where a posterior approach would need more retraction of the nerve.