Complications associated with posterior approaches in minimally invasive spine decompression

Posterior approaches for decompression in minimally invasive spine surgery are increasingly used for a wide range of pathology. Surgeons and patients must understand these risks in order to identify, manage, and ideally prevent complications. Technical intraoperative complications, recurrences and reoperations, infections, and medical complications associated with the surgery are considered for common posterior minimally invasive decompression procedures of the cervical and lumbar spine. Methods of possibly avoiding these complications are also discussed. This article then aggregates the relevant data to allow concise understanding of the complications associated with these procedures.