Minimally invasive surgical treatment on the lumbar spine can be safely performed on elderly patients, according to an article published in Spine.
In a single-site prospective examination, 40 Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion patients aged 80 or older were identified. Their outcomes were compared with those of 20 patients in the same age group who underwent the traditional open posterior lumbar interbody fusion.
Researchers found no statistically significant differences in demographics, diagnoses or comorbidities between the groups. Complications, blood loss/transfusion rate and hospital stay were in the group receiving minimally invasive surgery. The patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery left the hospital an average of four days earlier than those who underwent the open PLIF procedure.
Most of the patients from the minimally invasive group were discharged home were more likely than those who went through open procedure to be discharged to a skilled nursing facility. Six deaths occurred among the open surgery patients, while one death occurred among the patients treated with the minimally invasive procedure six months after the surgery.
Read the abstract for “Lumbar Fusion in Octogenarians: The Promise of Minimally Invasive Surgery.”
Read more coverage on spine studies:
- Study Outlines the Advantages of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Study: Nucleoplasty May Not Be An Effective Procedure
- Study: XLIF a Safe, Cost-Saving Spinal Procedure
In a single-site prospective examination, 40 Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion patients aged 80 or older were identified. Their outcomes were compared with those of 20 patients in the same age group who underwent the traditional open posterior lumbar interbody fusion.
Researchers found no statistically significant differences in demographics, diagnoses or comorbidities between the groups. Complications, blood loss/transfusion rate and hospital stay were in the group receiving minimally invasive surgery. The patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery left the hospital an average of four days earlier than those who underwent the open PLIF procedure.
Most of the patients from the minimally invasive group were discharged home were more likely than those who went through open procedure to be discharged to a skilled nursing facility. Six deaths occurred among the open surgery patients, while one death occurred among the patients treated with the minimally invasive procedure six months after the surgery.
Read the abstract for “Lumbar Fusion in Octogenarians: The Promise of Minimally Invasive Surgery.”
Read more coverage on spine studies:
- Study Outlines the Advantages of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Study: Nucleoplasty May Not Be An Effective Procedure
- Study: XLIF a Safe, Cost-Saving Spinal Procedure