*Minimally Invasive Lateral Approach for Anterior Spinal Cord Decompression in Thoracic… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97669*


### **Table 5.**

*Literature review on mini-open lateral approach for symptomatic thoracic or upper lumbar disc disease: Spinal levels treated.*

### **Figure 8.**

*Preoperative sagittal (A) and axial (B) T2-weighted magnetic resonance images of a soft disc herniation at T10–11 in a 42 years old male with body mass index of 43.0. C: Postoperative sagittal x-rays showing decompression and placement of an expandable interbody cage in the same patient.*

*Minimally Invasive Lateral Approach for Anterior Spinal Cord Decompression in Thoracic… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.97669*


### **Table 6.**

*Literature review on mini-open lateral approach for symptomatic thoracic or upper lumbar disc disease: Complications.*

disc herniations and could be successfully repaired [7, 9]. Case no. 1 who had a calcified thoracic disc herniation had a small intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid leak repaired with onlay allograft and DuraSeal® (Covidien, Waltham, MA, USA). Other postoperative complications included 6 pleural effusions, two of which required interventional radiology placement of chest tube. Costovertebral neuralgia is usually treated with neuropathic pain medication such as gabapentin or pregabalin. Topical lidocaine can also be used.

### **3.4 Limitations**

The results of this study need to be interpreted with caution because of its retrospective nature and the limited number of cases reported. Although the outcomes were consistent with the literature, long-term follow-up would be necessary to better assess the risk of pseudoarthrosis and the persistence of resolution of symptoms.

### **4. Conclusion**

A larger number of case series have reported successful treatment of symptomatic TDH using the mini-open lateral technique. With a short length of stay for elective cases, a relatively low complication rate and improvement of motor function in the majority of patients, the mini-open lateral approach can be considered a safe and effective procedure for symptomatic TDH. Arthrodesis using expandable cages without additional anterior instrumentation can provide satisfactory shortterm outcomes. However supplemental anterior or posterior fixation should also be considered when significant pre-existing instability is suspected, when multiple contiguous levels are treated or when significant cage subsidence is noted during cage expansion.

*Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery - Advances and Innovations*
