• SCVS Home
• President's Message
• Council
• Commitees
• Annual Meeting
• 37th Annual Symposium
• 36th Annual Symposium
• 35th Annual Symposium
• 34th Annual Symposium
• 33rd Annual Symposium
• Membership
• Join SCVS
• Members Only Area
• Find a Vascular Specialist
• Newsletters
• Journal
• History
• Mission Statement
• Bylaws
• Contact Us
• 37th Annual Symposium
• 36th Annual Symposium
• 35th Annual Symposium
• 34th Annual Symposium
• 33rd Annual Symposium
• Join SCVS
• Members Only Area
• Find a Vascular Specialist

The Safety And Efficacy Of Anterior Lumbar Spine Exposure In The Management Of Lumbar Disc Disease

OBJECTIVES:
Evaluate the overall complication rate associated with an anterior approach to the lumbar spine when performed by a vascular surgical team prior to an lumbar fusion or artificial disc replacement.
METHODS:
A retrospective chart review of patients who underwent anterior lumbar spine exposure during the years 2003 to 2007.
RESULTS:
A total of 214 patients underwent anterior lumbar exposure during this 5 year study period. 80% (n=171) of these patients underwent artificial disc replacement while 20% (n=43) underwent interbody fusion. 65.4% (n= 140) were men and 34.6% (n=74) were women. The average age was 48 years (range 23-69). 87 patients required exposure of two or more disc levels. A total of 298 disc spaces were exposed with the most frequent disc level being L5-S1 with 51% (n=152) followed by L4-L5 with 42% (n=125). Only minor complications related to the anterior exposure occurred and included superficial wound infections (n=6), transient retrograde ejaculation (n=2), small bowel obstruction (n=1) and development of a lymphocele (n=1) for an overall complication rate of 4.7%. The orthopedic outcomes were good with only 2 patients requiring revisions of their anterior lumbar disc procedure.
CONCLUSIONS
The demand for anterior exposure to the lumbar spine is increasing as advances are made in the management of lumbar disc disease such as artificial disc replacement. Our single center experience with anterior lumbar spine exposure demonstrates that this procedure can be performed safely with low complication rates making the advantages of anterior lumbar surgery available to a greater number of patients.