What Is Minimally Invasive Transformal Lumbar Interbody Fusion?
TLIF is performed slightly to the side of the patient’s body so that nerves and muscles in the back are less affected.
In an MIS TLIF, the patient is positioned face-down and the surgeon places one retractor on either side of the spine. This approach prevents disruption of the midline ligaments and bone.
Using the two retractors, the surgeon can remove the lamina and the disk, place the bone graft into the disk space, and place screws or rods to provide additional support.