Clinical efficacy of minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion via bilateral channel for lumbar degenerative disease

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of bilateral channel minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) in the management of lumbar degenerative diseases. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 68 patients diagnosed with lumbar degenerative diseases who underwent surgical intervention at Ningbo No.6 Hospital between April 2021 and February 2022. The patients were categorized into a traditional TLIF group (38 cases) and a bilateral channel MIS-TLIF group (30 cases). Comparative assessments were performed between the two groups in terms of surgical outcomes. Results: All surgical procedures were successfully performed and postoperative follow-up was maintained for (12.7 ± 1.7 months). Statistically significant differences were observed in operation time, intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume, and length of hospital stay between two groups. The VAS scores and ODI of the two groups measured at 7 days postoperatively and at the final follow-up were significantly lower than the preoperative values, with statistically significant differences. The fusion rates were 89.5% in the traditional group and 93.3% in the bilateral channel MIS-TLIF group, with no statistically significant differences. Conclusion: Bilateral channel MIS-TLIF is a feasible surgical procedure and it can reduce the surgical duration and radiation exposure associated with intraoperative fluoroscopy.