A graduate of Cornell University Medical College, Dr. Jamie Gottlieb has worked at several high-profile institutes and clinics. Currently, he is the principal spine surgeon at i-Spine Institute in Denton, TX. One of the procedures Dr. Jamie Gottlieb performs at the institute is extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF).
While the standard ALIF (anterior lumbar interbody fusion) procedure uses anterior access, the XLIF procedure accesses the spine from the patient’s side, avoiding major muscle groups in the back. Typically, patients with a spinal tumor, scoliosis, kyphosis, or degenerative disc disease undergo the latter.
Surgeons performing the procedure test the spinal nerves with a probe. They use fluoroscopic X-ray images to guide them to avoid injuring nerves. When they locate the problem, surgeons move the back muscles aside with a retraction device to reach the spine.
After that, surgeons remove the degenerated disc and insert a bone graft-filled implant in its place. If needed, surgeons may also apply bone morphogenetic protein to speed the recovery.
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