Minimally invasive bilateral decompressive lumbar laminectomy with unilateral approach: patient series

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive bilateral decompressive lumbar laminectomy with a unilateral approach is a less destructive procedure compared to the traditional open bilateral laminectomy. The objective of this study is to report the authors’ experience with this technique. The first 26 cases performed using the unilateral approach for bilateral decompression are described. Baseline characteristics, operative time, blood loss, and intraoperative complications were collected retrospectively. No specific surgical equipment is needed for this technique. OBSERVATIONS: Twenty-six patients and a total of 40 lumbar levels were treated. Mean operative time was 82 minutes per level and mean estimated blood loss was 40.4 mL per level. Mean length of hospitalization was 1.65 days. Cerebrospinal fluid leak occurred in 1 of 26 (3.85%) cases. LESSONS: Although improved stabilization needs to be proven in future long-term studies to clearly show a decrease in need for fusion, the initial experience with a unilateral approach is positive and continued use in minimally invasive spine surgery seems promising.