Minimally Invasive Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)

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Minimally Invasive Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) is done under general anesthesia. In the procedure, the disc is removed and the front (anterior) of the spine stabilized using a cage implant packed with bone graft. The procedure is done from the back of the spine through small skin incision(s). A series of dilators are inserted to separate the muscles and finally, a hollow working tube is introduced, and all the dilators removed. Then, through a surgical microscope and/or loupe magnification the surgeon uses various tools to remove the herniated disc and/or spurs, and subsequently inserts the cage implant. This is consequently supplemented by inserting screws into the adjacent vertebral bodies which are then held together by a rod. The patients are typically discharged from the hospital the next day.