Less-Invasive Procedure for Spine Surgery

A new minimally disruptive procedure is designed to provide relief in patients suffering from back pain.

Using the new procedure, called XLIF (extreme lateral interbody infusion), surgeons can access the spine more directly through the flank muscle on the patient's side. This approach avoids disrupting major muscles and tissue in the back that the surgeon traditionally has had to go through to access the spine. The new procedure involves sensors that alert surgeons if their probe approaches one of the nerves running through the muscle, so they can steer around it. Also, the incisions are much smaller than those in traditional back surgeries.

The surgeon accesses the spine through two one-inch incisions, compared to the five-inch incisions of traditional open-back surgery. This results in minimal tissue disruption and shorter hospital stays. Patients spend one night in the hospital, compared to five nights after traditional surgery. The XLIF procedure is part of a proprietary suite of instruments and technology developed by NuVasive, Inc. (San Diego, CA, USA), called Maximum Access Surgery (MAS). The company states that its system provides greater access to the spine, better visualization during surgery, and speedier surgery. The system uses electromyography (EMG) and proprietary software to provide surgeons with an advanced nerve avoidance platform.

"The XLIF procedure offers patients a safe and effective, less-invasive alternative to traditional spine surgery,” explained Dr. William Taylor, a neurosurgeon at the University of California, San Diego, Medical Center (USA).




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NuVasive, Inc.