Oblique lumbar lateral interbody fusion

Oblique Lateral Lumbar Fusion (OLLIF) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure to achieve spinal fusion of the lumbar vertebrae. Unlike other spinal fusions it can often be performed as an outpatient surgery.

Medical uses

OLLIF is done in the lumbar region of the spine to treat a variety of back conditions. Most commonly it is used to treat Degenerative disc disease and Spinal disc herniation but it can be used to treat a large range of degenerative spinal conditions. OLLIF is currently only used for fusions between the L1-5 and S1 vertebrae.

Procedure

Unlike in open Spinal fusions like Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, the surgeon does not have to cut through muscle and connective tissue to reach the spine. In OLLIF spinal fusion is performed through a single incision around 15mm in size. An access portal is fed through the incision and pushed onto the disk. The disk can removed through the access portal and is replaced by a PEEK spacer.^[1] Like many other spinal fusions, OLLIF is usually augmented by posterior pedicle screw fixation, which can also be done minimally invasively.^[2]

Advantages

Unlike comparable open surgeries OLLIF does not require a large incision, Laminectomy, the removal of a facet joint or stripping of muscle and soft tissue. All of these procedures complicate the healing process and can cause instability in adjacent spinal levels, known as adjacent level disease. Because OLLIF does not rely on these invasive measures, it is much faster than other spinal fusions and can often be performed as an outpatient surgery ^[3]

See also

Spinal fusion

References