Introduction to minimally invasive spine surgery

Abstract

Minimally invasive spine surgery started at the turn of the century and many predicted it would soon become the standard of care. Nonetheless, almost twenty years later, these techniques are used in less than 20% of the procedures performed in the United States. While certainly multifactorial, some of the reasons for this slow adoption include the difficult learning curve, as well as the initially increased operative time (and thus decreased surgical volume and revenue) for the seasoned “open” surgeon who tries to convert to the new minimally invasive techniques. The goal of this book is to share almost 20 years of experience in teaching (and sometimes learning) the minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques to those who understand the benefits and want to embrace a better option for their patients.