Lumbar fusion is currently the most common surgery for patients suffering from chronic low back pain due to degenerative disk disease of the lumbar spine, among other indications. Since lumbar fusion was first performed in 1911 the technique was incrementally refined. Multiple approaches to access the spine were developed throughout the years which were guided by new technology and the desire to inflict minimum tissue disturbance during the surgery. The more recently developed minimally invasive approaches, although more technically difficult, involve smaller incisions, shorter operative time, less blood loss, and quicker post-operative recovery. Long term follow-up functional scores, however, are comparable between the open and minimally invasive approaches. Cost analyses suggest that the minimally invasive approach is more cost-effective, possibly due to lower resource utilization and shorter hospital stays.
Key words: lumbar surgery, lumbar fusion, minimally invasive surgery
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