Operative Neurosurgery 28:855–861, 2025
This retrospective study found that multilevel awake minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) under spinal anesthesia is safe and effective, with minimal blood loss, good pain control, and short hospital stays, supporting its use even in complex cases for improved patient outcomes.
• Multilevel awake minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) under spinal anesthesia is safe and effective for complex lumbar spine cases.
• A retrospective review of 16 patients (mostly two-level procedures) showed no new neurological deficits and all were discharged home without complications.
• Median age was 69.5 years; common comorbidities included hypertension, obesity, and sleep apnea.
• Median operative time was 156 minutes, with low median blood loss (50 mL) and a median hospital stay of 2 days.
• Postoperative pain was well controlled, most commonly using methocarbamol and short-duration opioids.
• 93.75% of patients reported significant symptomatic improvement at follow-up.
• Awake MIS-TLIF offers benefits over general anesthesia, such as faster recovery, shorter hospital stays, and fewer side effects.
• Study limitations include small sample size and retrospective design; further research is needed.
You must be logged in to post a comment.