Minneapolis-based Inspired Spine reported surgeons have performed more than 500 Oblique Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusions.
Here are six things to note:
1. The minimally invasive procedure uses an incision of 15 mm and incurs 80 percent less blood loss compared to a traditional fusion.
2. OLLIF also doesn't detach any muscle to enter the disc space.
3. Following the learning curve, a surgeon will likely perform OLLIF in less than one-third of the time a traditional fusion takes.
4. Surgeons have not reported any infections for the first 500 procedures performed.
5. A recent study published in Cureus found OLLIF saved hospitals an average of $9,500 per case compared to transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion.
6. Inspired Spine developed two other lumbar fusion techniques derived from OLLIF — the MIS-DLIF and MIS-DTIF. MIS-DLIF is intended for L5-S1, addressing the barriers of the ala of the sacrum and the iliac crest. MIS-DTIF is designed for the thoracic levels.