Single-position anterior–posterior lumbar fusion surgery has significant advantages over the traditional approach to spinal fusion, New York City-based NYU Langone Health researchers found.
SPLS has led to reduced blood loss, less postoperative intestinal blockage and shorter OR times, according to a study published in The Spine Journal Nov. 12.
The novel approach positions patients on their side for the duration of the procedure, as opposed to repositioning them from their back or side to their stomach during surgery.
SPLS enables surgeons to approach the spine through both the front and back, which reduces OR time and leads to a higher fusion rate, according to researchers.
The study evaluated 397 procedures — 244 were performed using SPLS — between May 2012 and June 2019.
Researchers found that SPLS decreased OR time by more than three hours, from an average time of 306 minutes to 103 minutes.
Another study is being planned to evaluate SLPS against minimally invasive posterior fusion.
Click here for more details on the study.