Lateral Retropleural Approach Research Articles

Minimally Invasive Lateral Approach for Calcified Thoracic Disc Herniations: Technical Considerations and Outcomes Review.

Symptomatic thoracic disc herniation (TDH) is relatively uncommon, and surgical management poses significant challenges owing to restricted anatomic corridors, limited space within the spinal canal, tenuous blood supply, and proximity to vital organs and vasculature. Calcified TDH adds further complexity, necessitating meticulous preoperative planning to determine the safest and most effective approach. Although various techniques have been described for managing TDH, many are associated with high complication rates, increased blood loss, and extended hospitalizations. Recent studies suggest that the minimally invasive lateral retropleural approach for calcified TDH offers notable advantages, improving clinical and operative outcomes. However, research specifically focusing on the efficacy of this technique remains limited. This narrative review examines the existing literature on the lateral retropleural approach, discussing reported outcomes, technical considerations, and potential challenges.

Incidence of radiographic and clinically significant pneumothorax or hemothorax after thoracic discectomy via mini-open lateral retropleural approach without prophylactic chest tube placement.

The mini-open lateral retropleural (MO-LRP) approach is an effective option for surgically treating thoracic disc herniations, but the approach raises concerns for pneumothorax (PTX). However, chest tube placement causes insertion site tenderness, necessitates consultation services, increases radiation exposure (requires multiple radiographs), delays the progression of care, and increases narcotic requirements. This study examined the incidence of radiographic and clinically significant PTX and hemothorax (HTX) after the MO-LRP approach, without the placement of a prophylactic chest tube, for thoracic disc herniation. This study was a single-institution retrospective evaluation of consecutive cases from 2017 to 2022. Electronic medical records were reviewed, including postoperative chest radiographs, radiology and operative reports, and postoperative notes. The presence of PTX or HTX was determined on chest radiographs obtained in all patients immediately after surgery, with interval radiographs if either was present. The size was categorized as large (≥ 3 cm) or small (< 3 cm) based on guidelines of the American College of Chest Physicians. PTX or HTX was considered clinically significant if it required intervention. Thirty patients underwent thoracic discectomy via the MO-LRP approach. All patients were included. Twenty patients were men (67%), and 10 (33%) were women. The patients ranged in age from 25 to 74 years. The most commonly treated level was T11-12 (n = 11, 37%). Intraoperative violation of parietal pleura occurred in 5 patients (17%). No patient had prophylactic chest tube placement. Fifteen patients (50%) had PTX on postoperative chest radiographs; 2 patients had large PTXs, and 13 had small PTXs. Both patients with large PTXs had expansion on repeat radiographs and were treated with chest tube insertion. Of the 13 patients with a small PTX, 1 required 100% oxygen using a nonrebreather mask; the remainder were asymptomatic. One patient, who had no abnormal findings on the immediate postoperative chest radiograph, developed an incidental HTX on postoperative day 6 and was treated with chest tube insertion. Thus, 3 patients (10%) required a chest tube: 2 for expanding PTX and 1 for delayed HTX. Most patients who undergo thoracic discectomy via the MO-LRP approach do not develop clinically significant PTX or HTX. PTX and HTX in this patient population should be treated with a chest tube only when there are postoperative clinical and radiographic indications.

Surgical technique of combined minimally invasive anterior column realignment at L1-L2 with open extension of prior fusion.

Surgical correction of fixed kyphotic deformity or severe sagittal imbalance traditionally involves three column osteotomies, which are associated with high morbidity rates. Anterior column realignment (ACR) has emerged as a minimally invasive alternative for restoring segmental lordosis. This technique involves a lateral approach and release of the anterior longitudinal ligament (ALL), followed by placement of a hyperlordotic interbody cage. In this study, we present a successful case of minimally invasive ACR for the treatment of flatback deformity and adjacent segment disease in a patient with prior L2-S1 fusion. Imaging revealed a flatback deformity, sagittal vertical axis elevation, and spinopelvic disharmony. The patient underwent a multistage procedure involving a lateral retropleural approach for ACR and interbody fusion, followed by open posterior instrumented fusion and vertebroplasties. Postoperatively, the patient experienced significant pain relief and improvement in lumbar lordosis, pelvic tilt, and pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis mismatch. ACR combined with posterior release allows for manipulation of all three spinal columns, leading to spine reconstruction and improved spinopelvic harmony. We discuss the advantages of ACR, including its minimally invasive nature and potential benefits for patients with sagittal deformities. The presented surgical technique demonstrates the feasibility and efficacy of minimally invasive ACR in addressing flatback deformity and adjacent segment disease.

Minimally Invasive Retropleural Thoracic Diskectomy: Step-by-Step Operative Planning, Execution, and Results.

Thoracic disk herniation is rare and difficult to treat. The minimally invasive lateral retropleural approach to the thoracic spine enables the surgeon to decompress the neural elements and minimize thecal sac manipulation through direct visualization with less exposure-related morbidity. To provide a detailed step-by-step overview of the minimally invasive retropleural approach for thoracic diskectomies, including preoperative planning through postoperative care as practiced at our institution. Lateral retropleural thoracic diskectomies performed at a single institution from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2020, were reviewed. Clinical and outcome data were collected and analyzed. The retropleural approach was divided into several components: relevant anatomy, indications and contraindications, preoperative setup, exposure and approach, diskectomy, and closure and postoperative care. Twelve patients were treated during the study interval. Their average (SD) age was 44.2 (9.5) years; 10 of 12 were men. Eleven patients presented with thoracic myelopathy. The level treated ranged from T6-7 to T12-L1. Disk herniations were calcified in 10 of 12 patients. These lesions were approached from the left side in 7 of 12 patients. Six patients had complications, none of which were neurological. Chest tubes were placed for pleural violation, pneumothorax, or hemothorax in 3 patients. Two patients experienced postoperative abdominal pseudohernia. Neurological symptoms were stable or improved in all patients. The median (IQR) Nurick scale improved from 3.0 (2.0-3.0) preoperatively to 1.0 (0-3.0) ( P = .026) postoperatively. Lateral retropleural diskectomy enables safe, efficient resection of most thoracic disks while minimizing patient morbidity.

Short segment rib resection to mitigate risk of pleural violation during retropleural lateral thoracic interbody fusion.

It can be difficult to avoid violating the pleura during the retropleural approach to the thoracolumbar spine. In this video, the authors resect a short segment of rib to allow more room for pleural dissection during a minimally invasive (MIS) lateral retropleural approach. After a lateral MIS skin incision, the rib is dissected and removed, clearly identifying the retropleural space. The curvature of the rib can then be followed, decreasing the risk of pleural violation. The pleura can then be mobilized ventrally until the spine is accessed. Managing the diaphragm is also illustrated by separating the fibers without a traditional cut through the muscle.The video can be found here: https://stream.cadmore.media/r10.3171/2022.3.FOCVID21138

Mini-open lateral retropleural thoracic discectomy approach.

The lateral retropleural approach provides an eloquent, mini-open, safe corridor to address various pathologies in the thoracolumbar spine, including herniated thoracic discs. Traditional approaches (e.g., transpedicular, costotransversectomy, or transthoracic) have their own benefits and pitfalls but are generally associated with significant morbidity and often require instrumentation. In this video, the authors highlight the retropleural approach and its nuances, including patient positioning, surgical planning, relevant anatomy, surgical technique, and postoperative care.The video can be found here: https://stream.cadmore.media/r10.3171/2022.3.FOCVID2217

Minimally invasive circumferential decompression and stabilization for metastatic vertebral column disease

Minimally invasive circumferential decompression and stabilization for metastatic vertebral column disease

Lateral retropleural and retrodiaphragmatic approach in patients with spine trauma and diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Retropleural and/or retrodiaphragmatic approach is one of the options for anterolateral access to the thoracic spine and thoracolumbar region. This technique has no disadvantages associated with thoracotomy or extensive tissue dissection following posterolateral approaches. Systematic analysis of foreign and national researches devoted to the possibility, safety and effectiveness of lateral retropleural approach to the thoracic spine and meta-analysis of the most common complications associated with this approach. Initial searching revealed 133 abstracts for further study. Inclusion criteria: 1) available full-text version of the manuscript in English or Russian; 2) age of patients over 18 years; 3) description of lateral retropleural or retrodiaphragmatic approach complicated or not complicated by access-associated complications. According to these criteria, we enrolled 10 manuscripts. Meta-analysis showed high (10.6%) probability of pleural injury associated with surgical approach. Compared to endoscopic transthoracic interventions, the above-mentioned access is characterized by similar or slightly greater blood loss (401.2 ml vs. 100-775 ml) and slightly longer surgery time (200.5 vs. 97.5-186 min) that may be due to small number of interventions and relatively little experience of such operations. The number of patients with approach-related complications is comparable to that for endoscopic transthoracic access (5% vs. 3.7-13.3%). Compared to transthoracic minithoracotomy, this approach is characterized by similar blood loss (401.2 vs. 391 ml), longer surgery time (200.5 vs. 168 min) and similar or lower morbidity (5% vs. 5-13.5%). Minimally invasive anterolateral retropleural and/or retrodiaphragmatic approach to the thoracic spine and thoracolumbar junction for corpectomy and discectomy ensures effective spinal canal decompression and less incidence of complications following open or thoracoscopic thoracic spine surgery. Dissection of parietal pleura should be of special attention because injury of this structure occurs in 10.6% of cases. Skin incision 7.1 cm and rib resection for at least 5 cm may be valuable to prevent plural damage.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE LATERAL RETROPLEURAL APPROACH TO THE THORACOLUMBAR JUNCTION – REVIEW &amp; EXPERIENCE

ABSTRACT Objective To describe the minimally invasive technique for the lateral retropleural approach to the thoracolumbar spine and its viability in several affections of the region, demonstrating its indications, potential advantages, and necessary precautions, with an emphasis on the local anatomy, especially the diaphragm. Methods After a review of the literature, the initial experience of the Service is reported, comparing it to the published results. The surgical technique used is described with emphasis on the surgical anatomy of the diaphragm. Results The minimally invasive lateral retropleural approach to the thoracolumbar junction with the application of an expandable tubular retractor was described step-by-step in this study, with emphasis on the crucial points of technical execution, such as preoperative planning, access to the retropleural plane, and an orthogonal approach for adequate discectomy and/or corpectomy and subsequent implant placement. It can be used in the treatment of deformities, degenerative diseases, trauma, tumors, and infections and it allows for adequate interbody arthrodesis fusion rates associated with a smaller skin incision and less soft tissue damage, blood loss, and postoperative pain. Thus, it results in better postoperative mobility and a shorter hospital stay, which can also be observed in the data from initial experience of this Service. Conclusions The minimally invasive technique for the lateral retropleural approach to the thoracolumbar spine with the application of an expandable tubular retractor was shown to be promising and safe for the treatment of several spinal diseases despite the complex and challenging local anatomy and it presents advantages over the morbidity rates observed in the traditional approach. Level of evidence IV; Case series.

Mini-open Lateral Retropleural Approach for Symptomatic Thoracic Disk Herniations

Surgeries for symptomatic thoracic disk herniations (TDH) remain challenging. A mini-open lateral retropleural approach is described and the clinical outcomes are reported. A total of 23 patients underwent mini-open lateral retropleural diskectomy. Patients were placed in a lateral position. A 5-cm lateral incision was made followed by resection of the rib after careful dissection of its undersurface from the endothoracic fascia. The fascia was incised and separated from parietal pleura to widen the retropleural space. The rib head was removed followed by a pedicle resection below the TDH to expose the dura. A posterior partial corpectomy above and below the disk was performed to create a space ventral to the TDH, which was later dissected away from the dura and removed. Fourteen males and 9 females comprised the clinical cohort. Five presented with axial back pain, 7 with radicular pain and 11 with myelopathy. All but 2 disks were successfully removed. The mean blood loss was 214cc and the mean hospital stay was 5.3 days. There was no mortality or new neurological deficits. The mean follow-up was 15.4 months. Mini-open lateral retropleural approach is safe and effective to remove symptomatic TDH with minimal morbidities and fast patient recovery.

Spinal Shortening for Recurrent Tethered Cord Syndrome via a Lateral Retropleural Approach: A Novel Operative Technique.

Spine shortening via vertebral osteotomy (SSVO) for recurrent tethered cord syndrome (TCS) is a novel surgical technique that avoids the complication profile associated with revision detethering. While SSVO has previously been described via a posterior approach, we describe a lateral retropleural approach for SSVO in recurrent TCS in a 21-year-old female.Our patient presented with progressive lower extremity weakness, bowel and bladder incontinence, and back pain in the setting of childhood repair of myelomeningocele and two previous detethering procedures. SSVO was offered to the patient as further detethering was deemed to have significant risk. A discectomy at T11-T12 via the lateral retropleural approach was performed, followed by a T12 partial corpectomy removing the vertebral body down to the inferior aspect of the T12 pedicle, followed by the removal of the ipsilateral pedicle. The T10, T11, L1, and L2 pedicle screws were then placed in the prone position and temporary rods were placed for temporary stability, followed by a laminectomy at T12 and a facetectomy for posterior element release. The remaining pedicle was removed, permanent rods were sequentially placed, and spinal column shortening was achieved by compression against the rods. Standing lateral radiographs demonstrated 19 millimeters (mm) of shortening after the intervention. The patient remained at her neurologic baseline postoperatively. At the six-month follow-up, the patient reported decreased lower extremity radicular pain and improved bowel and bladder function.This operative report demonstrates that SSVO via a lateral retropleural approach is a viable treatment for the recurrence of TCS. The advantages of this minimally invasive approach compared to the posterior approach are direct access to the vertebral body and disc space, avoiding the need to operate around the spinal cord. Further studies are necessary to assess this minimally invasive approach to spinal shortening and to see if a complete minimally invasive approach is possible.

Minimally Invasive Lateral Retropleural Approach for Thoracic Discectomy and Corpectomy

Contemporary Spine Surgery: November 2013 - Volume 14 - Issue 11 - p 8 doi: 10.1097/01.CSS.0000437000.25868.5e

Minimally Invasive Lateral Retropleural Approach for Thoracic Discectomy and Corpectomy

Fineberg, Steven J. MD; Oglesby, Matthew BA; Nandyala, Sreeharsha V. BA; Marquez-Lara, Alejandro MD; Singh, Kern MD Author Information

Mini-open lateral retro-pleural thoracic corpectomy for osteomyelitis

Thoracic vertebral body corpectomy with associated deformity and neural element compression can be challenging. Multiple approaches have been proposed including trans-pedicular, costotransversectomy and trans-thoracic. Approach related pitfalls, nuances, morbidity and complication profile differ with each technique. A mini-open retro-pleural approach provides great access to bony pathology and neural elements without the need to violate the thoracic cavity or chest-tube placement postoperatively. Here we present a 56-year-old male with progressive back pain and suspected osteomyelitis/discitis at T-9 & T-10 who presented with progressive deformity and failure of empiric antibiotic treatment. He underwent a two-level lateral corpectomy. The technique and operative nuances to a lateral retro-pleural approach to thoracic corpectomy are presented. Important surgical concepts such as patient positioning, appropriate use of intraoperative fluoroscopy, regional anatomy, postoperative care and pitfalls are outlined. Emphasis is made on a true lateral approach, posterior rib resection, wide retro-pleural dissection and preservation of the parietal pleura as you descent on to the vertebral body. Identifying the correct plane of dissection, timely corpectomy, placement of expandable cage and correction of deformity are discussed. Water-tight closure with removal of retro-pleural air utilizing an intra-operative water-seal technique using a red-rubber catheter is shown. Nuvasive owns the copyright for figures included within the video and has given JNSPG permission to use them. The video can be found here: http://youtu.be/17Xo_u3WHNg.

Minimally Invasive Retropleural Approach for Central Thoracic Disc Herniation

The management of symptomatic thoracic disc herniation (TDH) has evolved tremendously ever since the first laminectomy was performed. The last decade has witnessed the evolution of minimally invasive approaches for TDH most of which have been posterior/posterolateral. Traditional anterior approaches involve a thoracotomy or more recently, thoracoscopic techniques. The authors describe a less invasive anterior retropleural surgical approach to address central thoracic disk herniations which is less extensive than a thoracotomy and allows better anterior access than posterior or posterolateral approaches. The retropleural approach allows the use of the operative microscope with a tubular retractor in the anterior thoracic spine. 7 patients with central disc herniation who were managed with the minimally invasive lateral retropleural approach from 2007-2010 at our institution were included in the study. Surgical technique consisted of a lateral position followed by retro-pleural exposure through tubular retractor system without the need of intraoperative lung collapse. Clinical details including age, sex, clinical presentation, surgical details, complications and outcome at last follow-up were analyzed. Patients age ranged in age from 30 to 70 years (mean: 52 years). The duration of symptoms ranged from 4 days to 3 years. All patients presented with thoracic myleopathy on physical examination. The average length of stay in the hospital was 2.6 days (range: 1-4 days). Follow-up was available for all the patients. Myelopathy was assessed by the Nurick scale. On examination, 3 of 7 patients improved by one point on the Nurick scale. No patient deteriorated after surgery. There were no complications related to the approach. A minimally invasive retropleural approach using tubular retractor system for central thoracic disc herniation is feasible and may be a less invasive anterior alternative to a thoracotomy.

Minimally Invasive Lateral Retropleural Thoracolumbar Approach: Cadaveric Feasibility Study and Report of 4 Clinical Cases

Traditional anterior and posterior approaches to the thoracolumbar spine are associated with significant morbidity. In an effort to eliminate these drawbacks, minimally invasive retropleural approaches have been developed. To demonstrate the feasibility and clinical experience of a minimally invasive lateral retropleural approach to the thoracolumbar spine. Seven cadaveric dissections were performed in 7 fresh specimens to determine the feasibility of the technique. In each specimen, the lateral aspect of the vertebral body was accessed retropleurally, and a corpectomy was performed. Intraprocedural fluoroscopy and postoperative computed tomography were used to assess the extent of decompression. As an adjunct, 3 clinical cases of thoracic fractures and 1 neurofibroma were treated with this minimally invasive approach. Operative results, complications, and early outcomes were assessed. In the cadaveric study, adequate exposure was obtained to perform a lateral corpectomy and to allow interbody grafting between the adjacent vertebral bodies. The procedures were successfully performed in the 4 clinical cases without conversion to conventional approaches. A pleural tear was noted in the first clinical case, and a chest tube was placed without any long-term sequelae. Our early experience suggests that the minimally invasive lateral retropleural approach allows adequate vertebrectomy and canal decompression without the tissue disruption associated with posterolateral approaches. This approach may improve the complication rates that accompany open or endoscopic approaches for thoracolumbar corpectomies.