Commentary on “Perioperative Clinical Features and Long-term Prognosis After Oblique Lateral Interbody Fusion (OLIF), OLIF With Anterolateral Screw Fixation, or OLIF With Percutaneous Pedicle Fixation: A Comprehensive Treatment Strategy for Patients With Lumbar Degenerative Disease”

Abstract

Till now, lumbar interbody fusion remains an effective surgical treatment option for a variety of lumbar spinal disorders including degenerative spinal disease, deformity, trauma, infection, and neoplasia. In particular, recently, various surgical methods such as the posterior lumbar interbody fusion, transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF), anterior lumbar interbody fusion, oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF), and the minimal endoscopic approach have been introduced.The OLIF was first introduced by Mayer 1 in 1997 as a surgical method called the prepsoas approach, and in 2012, Silvestre et al. 2 used the term OLIF for the first time and reported it as a new minimally invasive surgical technique. They analyzed complications and morbidity in 179 patients undergoing OLIF surgery, and initial data showed that bleeding, operative time, and postoperative recovery were favorable compared to conventional surgery. 3 Today, this approach is being extended to include minimally invasive surgical treatment of spinal deformities and is used to treat a variety of degenerative spinal diseases. 4 As with other minimally invasive spinal surgeries, OLIF has advantages such as minimal exposure of the surgical site, less soft tissue damage, less intraoperative bleeding and postoperative pain, as well as shorter operation time, faster recovery, and shorter hospital stay. 5,6 However, like minimally invasive surgery, OLIF also has its disadvantages. A narrow and small surgical field of view does not allow a full vision of the surrounding anatomy, which can lead to complications such as disorientation, unintentional damage to anatomy, and wrong level of surgery. In addition, surgery in a narrow space makes it difficult to operate, if not much experience, the operation time and learning curve may be prolonged.