Navigation and Robotic Single-Position Prone LLIF: First Cases in Brazil

has been rapid technological advancement in navigation-guided minimally invasive surgery over the past two decades, making these advancements an invaluable aid for surgeons by essentially providing real-time virtual reconstruction of patient anatomy. The objectives of these navigation- and robot-guided procedures are to reduce the likelihood of neural and vascular injury, minimize hospitalization time, decrease bleeding and postoperative pain, shorten healing time, and lower infection rates.

A unicentric, retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the preoperative and postoperative clinical and radiographic outcomes of the first Latin American patients diagnosed with lumbar degenerative disease who underwent lumbar interbody fusion at the L4-L5 level via prone-position lateral lumbar interbody fusion-single position prone access.

A total of 80 patients (40 assisted by fluoroscopy, 40 assisted by robotics) with 320 percutaneous pedicle screws were evaluated. The primary outcomes analyzed and compared were radiation exposure per screw (seconds), skin-to-skin operative time (minutes), and recovery time (days). Secondary outcomes included lumbar pain intensity (visual analog scale), reported functional disability (Oswestry Disability Index), and any potential complications. All secondary outcomes were collected at the postoperative time.

Comparing minimally invasive spine interventions with free-hand instrumentation and robotic instrumentation, a statistically significant difference was identified in radiation exposure per screw and surgical time. The literature on Cirq Robotic is limited; however, minimally invasive spine surgery with robotic assistance appears advantageous in terms of radiation exposure and surgical time.