Simultaneous anterior-posterior thoracolumbar spine surgery

Area of Science:

• Spine Surgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• Traditional spine surgery often requires staged anterior and posterior approaches or multiple anesthetic sessions.
• Patient repositioning between surgical stages can increase operative time and introduce risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the experience and evaluate the feasibility of a simultaneous anterior and posterior approach for spine surgery.
• To present this technique as an alternative to sequential or staged procedures.

Main Methods:

• A decubitus patient positioning was utilized.
• Two surgical teams concurrently performed anterior and posterior approaches, decompression, arthrodesis, and instrumentation.
• No patient repositioning, repreparing, or redraping was necessary between approaches.

Main Results:

• Twelve patients with diverse spinal lesions underwent the simultaneous procedure.
• The technique allowed for concurrent exposure, decompression, and stabilization.
• Posterior exposure, decompression, and stabilization were feasible in the decubitus position.

Conclusions:

• Simultaneous anterior and posterior spine surgery is a viable alternative to staged procedures.
• This approach potentially decreases operative time and avoids risks associated with repositioning.
• Further studies with larger patient cohorts are warranted to confirm these benefits.