Abstract
This study was performed to investigate the surgical results of the minimally invasive lumbar interbody fusion technique (group M) in comparison with the traditional open technique (group O) for one-level fusion, focusing on the period from surgery until discharge. Twenty-four patients (group M : 12 cases, group O : 12 cases) who had received neither anticoagulants nor antiplatelet drugs were studied. Surgical time, blood loss, usage of NSAIDs, hospital stay, and JOA score were compared between the two groups. Statistical evaluation showed that perioperative blood loss was markedly and significantly (P<0.01) decreased in group M. Although the operation time in group M was longer (284 min) than in group O (258 min), group M had a shorter hospital stay and received a smaller amount of NSAIDs. There was no significant difference in JOA score between the two groups. We suggest that the benefits associated with minimally invasive spine surgery techniques are lower perioperative blood loss, decreased pain, and a shorter hospital stay, but that this approach requires a learning curve for surgeons in the initial phase.
