title: Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF): a novel surgical technique for anterior lumbar interbody fusion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Minimally disruptive approaches to the anterior lumbar spine continue to evolve in a quest to reduce approach-related morbidity. A lateral retroperitoneal, trans-psoas approach to the anterior disc space allows for complete discectomy, distraction, and interbody fusion without the need for an approach surgeon.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the feasibility of a minimally disruptive lateral retroperitoneal approach and the advantages to patient recovery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The extreme lateral approach (Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion [XLIF]) is described in a step-wise manner. There have been no complications thus far in the author's first 13 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The XLIF approach allows for anterior access to the disc space without an approach surgeon or the complications of an anterior intra-abdominal procedure. Longer-term follow-up and data analysis are under way, but initial findings are encouraging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, Irvine Medical Center, 101 The City Drive South Bldg. 56, Ste. 400, Orange, 92868, USA. bozgur@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Burak M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Ozgur
authors.forename: Henry E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Aryan
authors.forename: Luiz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pimenta
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D004867:Equipment Design; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016268:Internal Fixators; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology; D018579:Patient Selection; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome