[First experiences using microsurgical techniques for minimally invasive ventral interbody fusion of the lumbar spine...

Minimal invasive techniques recently have become more important in spine surgery. Ventral approaches for lumbar fusion techniques are known for a long time. Their disadvantages are their size and the associated trauma. Since the early nineties two schools of minimal invasive procedures were developed. On one hand surgeons developed laparascopic methods, on the other hand traditional ventral approaches were minimized and combined with microsurgical techniques, in a way that they offer all advantages of minimal invasive procedures. This technique widely known under the acronym MINI-ALIF, which stands for MINImal invasive Antero-Lumbar Interbody Fusion, was developed for retroperitoneal approaches to the segments L2/3, L3/4, L4/5 and for the transperitoneal approach to the segment L5/S1. Its advantages include reduced technical and personnel effort, minimal traumatized tissue, low blood-loss, short operating times and reduced rates of complications. Additionally the surgeon does not need to be experienced in laparascopic methods. The operation technique is explained and discussed from the neurosurgical point of view.