Zachary Tempel, MD, is a neurosurgeon at Cincinnati-based Mayfield Brain & Spine. He specializes in complex spinal disorders, spine tumors, minimally invasive techniques and spine revision surgeries among others.
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Dr. Tempel provides his insight into the most challenging procedure in spine and how his training developed in treating complex spine conditions.
Question: Can you tell me about one procedure that stands out in your career? What was particularly challenging and how did you overcome it?
Dr. Zachary Tempel: In my practice, the minimally invasive lateral interbody fusion technique has revolutionized spinal fusion. The learning curve can be steep as the technique requires an exquisite understanding of the anatomy of the lumbar plexus and utilizes an access corridor surrounded by structures that are foreign to traditional approaches to the thoracolumbar spine.
In training, I developed a profound respect for the procedure and all the nuances that define the difference between success and failure. It is an incredibly potent tool for treating degenerative spine conditions. And when used as an adjunct for treating complex deformities, it provides powerful coronal and sagittal plane correction through a more physiologic approach, frequently obviating the need for maximally invasive three-column osteotomies. From my perspective, I favor a procedure that restores height over one that subtracts height.