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Lateral Interbody Decompression and Fusion: Which Side to Approach From?

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Abstract

Bertagnoli et al. initially described lateral lumbar interbody surgery in 2003 when they described the approach to implant prosthetic nuclear devices into the lumbar spine [1]. Ozgur and Pimenta described the extreme lateral transpsoas approach for interbody fusion in 2006 [2]. Over the last 7 years, the popularity and applications for minimally invasive lateral retroperitoneal approaches to the lumbar spine have grown. As the indications and applications have broadened, so have the dilemmas regarding which side to approach. In cases of a one-level fusion for degenerative disc disease, the point may be moot, and the approach should be based on which side appears easier to access on x-ray with respect to the ribs or iliac crest or whether the patient had prior retroperitoneal surgery on one side or the other. In more complex cases with coronal and sagittal deformities, the side of the approach becomes more poignant.

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Correspondence to Andrew A. Sama M.D. .

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Sama, A.A. (2014). Lateral Interbody Decompression and Fusion: Which Side to Approach From?. In: Wang, M., Lu, Y., Anderson, D., Mummaneni, P. (eds) Minimally Invasive Spinal Deformity Surgery. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1407-0_25

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1407-0_25

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-1407-0

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