A study presented at the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery 2016 Annual Forum examined the economic impact of oblique lateral lumbar interbody fusions on hospital efficiency.
The study authors examined 69 patients who underwent OLLIF and compared data to 55 patients who underwent open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusions performed by the same surgeon. OLLIF requires a single 10 to 15 mm incision and the technique is designed for faster surgery times.
The study authors found:
1. The OLLIF procedure was associated with cost reductions and faster recovery times when compared with the traditional open procedures.
2. Both patients and insurance companies experienced cost reductions.
3. Fewer hospital resources are used during the OLLIF procedure.
"The reduction in the use of these key hospital resources suggest that hospitals that are constrained by OR or hospital bed availability may be able to achieve greater throughput efficiency by increasing the overall percentage of patients receiving the OLLIF surgery," concluded the study authors.