Lateral Lumbar interbody Fusion (XLIF)

XLIF is a minimally-invasive procedure used to treat leg or back pain generally caused by degenerative disc disease. The procedure is performed through the patient’s side, avoiding the major muscles of the back. This is a minimally invasive approach to the anterior spine that avoids an incision that traverses the abdomen and also avoids cutting or disrupting the muscles of the back. In this fusion technique, the disk space is accessed from a very small incision on the patient’s side several inches in length. Special retractors are utilized, in addition to a fluoroscopy machine, which provides real-time x-ray images of the spine. In addition, special monitoring equipment is used to determine the proximity of the working instruments to the nerves of the spine. The disk material is removed from the spine and replaced with a bone graft, along with structural support from a cage made of bone, titanium, carbon-fiber, or a polymer.

This technique typically allows a shorter hospital stay and is typically less painful than traditional approaches to the spine Only those vertebra of the spine that have clear access from the side of the body can be approached using this technique.  At Spine Centers of America, e routinely perform several types of spinal procedures utilizing minimally invasive spine surgery techniques. The development of these techniques originated with the application of endoscopy during microdiscectomy surgery for herniated lumbar discs. It has now been applied to fusion surgeries.

Ask a member of our clinical team to see if this might be right for you.

Recovering from XLIF

XLIF is a minimally invasive surgery from which patients generally recover easily. The length of time the patient is required to stay under physician care varies from patient to patient. Many patients are able to go home a day or two after the spinal fusion surgery. In general the total recovery time is relatively short, and most patients are able to quickly return to their normal activities. Many patients notice an improvement in their symptoms immediately after XLIF surgery. In other patients, symptoms go away gradually. As this is minimally invasive fusion surgery many patients are able to get up and walk around the very quickly after they’ve had XLIF-spinal fusion surgery.