Lumbar Spine Access Surgery : A Comprehensive Guide to Anterior and Lateral Approaches

Quality surgeons must have all the tips, tricks, and tools to provide their patients with the best care possible. Anterior and lateral approaches have revolutionized spine surgery, but even so, many surgeons have not learned the procedures and treatment involved, and the ones who have demonstrate a very difficult learning curve. This can be partially attributed to a lack of instructional literature, and this book aims to fill this gap so that incoming as well as veteran surgeons can add the anterior and lateral approaches to their arsenal. This text guides the surgeon through the full arc of treatment: from deciding which approach to use to treating the patient post-operatively. Specifically, the reader will gain comprehensive knowledge on how to perform each access procedure, how to care for and treat the patient at every stage, and the best ways to handle an array of complications they may face. Seven sections present everything the surgeon needs to know: history and rationale; preoperative and intraoperative care, surgical techniques, intraoperative complications, postoperative care, and a final section covering additional considerations for revision surgery, biological treatments, and approaches for both outpatient and obese patients. Written by experts in the field, Lumbar Spine Access Surgery will be a valuable reference for spine, orthopedic and vascular surgeons looking to expand their skill set.