MIS-Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion

The MIS Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion, also known as eXtreme Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion (XLIF®), is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure. It allows the surgeon to perform the surgery through a small incision on the patient’s side. This advanced procedure treats various lumbar spinal conditions, including degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, and certain types of disc herniations. Damaged discs can press onto nearby nerve roots, causing intense pain. MIS-LLIF may be an option depending on the consultation with your physician.

Benefits of MIS-Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion

  • Minimally invasive procedure performed through the patient’s side, allowing surgeons easy access while avoiding major back muscles.
  • Reduced blood loss and faster healing due to small incisions and less trauma to surrounding areas.
  • Shortened recovery time, allowing patients to return to daily life and activities much sooner than traditional open surgery.

Our Treatment Approach

This minimally invasive treatment is performed by expert surgeons with two small incisions made along the patient’s side. The procedure follows these steps:

  • A probe is carefully inserted through the first incision while the second incision helps guide the surgical tools. The probe stimulates and detects nerves, allowing the surgeon to avoid them and locate the damaged disc.
  • Dilation tubes are guided between muscle fibers to preserve tissue, and a retractor device gently moves muscle tissue to give the surgeon clear access to the spine.
  • The damaged disc is removed, and an implant filled with bone graft material is inserted into the empty disc space. The bone graft will grow around the implant, forming a bone bridge and fusing the vertebrae.
  • The result is a successful spinal fusion, with realigned vertebral bones and removal of the damaged disc, relieving pain and alleviating pressure on the nerve roots.

The state-of-the-art MIS-LLIF procedure typically results in less blood loss, muscle and tissue damage, scarring, and minimal post-operative pain. Patients experience quicker recovery periods and can return to daily activities much sooner.