Enhanced Recovery After Surgery™ Awake Minimally-Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion: 2-Dimensional Operative Video

Abstract

This video demonstrates the awake endoscopic minimally-invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) used in our institution's developing Enhanced Recovery After Surgery program. This technique relies on 6 key components, including (1) conscious sedation, (2) endoscopic visualization, (3) long-acting local anesthesia, (4) an expandable interbody device, (5) osteobiologics, and (6) percutaneous instrumentation. In joining these technologies, this procedure embodies the principles of minimally invasive surgery while achieving excellent clinical outcomes. We have previously described this procedure in detail, as well as its impact at our institution, including significant reductions in operative time, blood loss, postoperative length of stay, and hospital costs. The procedure depicted in this video involves the off-label use of bone morphogenetic protein-2 and the Spineology Optimesh allograft containment device. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The patient gave direct consent for the use of the video footage and associated information from this surgery for the making and publication of this surgical video.