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Fusion (locking of 2 adjacent bone across a disc/joint) of the lumbar spine is one of the most commonly performed spine surgeries. It is done when the spine is unstable due to disease (e.g. spondylolisthesis) or as part of surgery to alleviate compression of the spinal nerves.

One of the common ways of achieving lumbar spine fusion is via the Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) technique. This involve putting in screws into the bones adjacent to the disc/joint to be fused, removing the back of the bone (lamina) to relieve nerve compression, removal of one facet joint (small joint in the back), cleaning out the disc and inserting bone graft and a spacer (cage).

Traditional open Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion requires a long midline incision in the back (10 to 20 cm) and a large amount of cutting and pulling of the back muscles. While the ultimate result of the surgery is usually good, the recovery period is painful and long.

Minimally invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (MIS TLIF) uses 2 to 4 small incisions, special access retractors, endoscope or microscope, specialised equipment and instrumentation, as well as x-ray or computer guidance to perform the same surgery with much less injury to the back muscles. The result is a shorter, less painful recovery period with similar long term outcomes as the open surgery. The complication rate is also equivalent or lower compared to open surgery in the hands of a spine surgeon experienced in this technique