A minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion is a technique we use to fuse the lumbar spine. It involves two small incisions, each barely bigger than a quarter, and it’s typically done on an outpatient basis.
The procedure involves removing the disc, placing a spacer with bone in the disc space, and inserting screws in the back, all through those two small incisions on an outpatient basis.
I’m surprised by the number of patients who see surgeons who recommend both an anterior and a posterior surgery, all done open, and they’re just okay with that. If your surgeon has recommended that, you might want to see another surgeon to find out whether there’s a more minimally invasive, outpatient option for you.
For the right condition and the right circumstances, this approach is typically enough to fuse the bones correctly and get an excellent result with much less surgical trauma. When this procedure is done well, for the correct patient with the correct condition, spine surgery works.
I changed “putting a bone with spacer” to “placing a spacer with bone,” since that’s what I took it to mean. Check with the client that the wording is right.