Oblique lumbar interbody fusion—address to an anatomical challenge: a case report
Oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) is a minimally invasive technique for the treatment of degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine, and the left operative window is always used to avoid the inferior vena cava (IVC). However, in cases with anatomical variations—particularly vascular anomalies, w...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Surgery |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2025.1621533/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849233426706595840 |
|---|---|
| author | Yuxin Meng Yuxin Meng Shangju Gao Fantao Meng Wenyi Li Yanwang Niu Yanwang Niu Jingchao Wei |
| author_facet | Yuxin Meng Yuxin Meng Shangju Gao Fantao Meng Wenyi Li Yanwang Niu Yanwang Niu Jingchao Wei |
| author_sort | Yuxin Meng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) is a minimally invasive technique for the treatment of degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine, and the left operative window is always used to avoid the inferior vena cava (IVC). However, in cases with anatomical variations—particularly vascular anomalies, which most significantly impact surgical approaches—the right retroperitoneal approach may serve as a preferable alternative. This case report describes a 59-year-old man with lumbar instability and a rare left-sided IVC who underwent OLIF via a right approach. Preoperative imaging of this patient showed an isolated left IVC. The procedure was performed through a right-sided surgical corridor bounded medially by the abdominal aorta(AA) and laterally by the right psoas major muscle. The approach was supplemented with lateral screw-rod instrumentation to maintain stability. The patient's neurological function improved significantly after surgery, and the surgical approach proved to be feasible while maintaining biomechanical stability while avoiding vascular risk. This case highlights the importance of vascular evaluation before OLIF. Especially for the rare left-sided IVC, OLIF via right approach can effectively improve safety. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c194b460a94744fe9cdb1fb99f15b3ff |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-875X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Surgery |
| spelling | doaj-art-c194b460a94744fe9cdb1fb99f15b3ff2025-08-20T05:32:52ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Surgery2296-875X2025-08-011210.3389/fsurg.2025.16215331621533Oblique lumbar interbody fusion—address to an anatomical challenge: a case reportYuxin Meng0Yuxin Meng1Shangju Gao2Fantao Meng3Wenyi Li4Yanwang Niu5Yanwang Niu6Jingchao Wei7Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou, Hebei, ChinaDepartment of Orthopedics, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, ChinaDepartment of Orthopedics, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, ChinaDepartment of Orthopedics, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, ChinaDepartment of Orthopedics, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, ChinaHebei North University, Zhangjiakou, Hebei, ChinaDepartment of Orthopedics, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, ChinaDepartment of Orthopedics, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, ChinaOblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) is a minimally invasive technique for the treatment of degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine, and the left operative window is always used to avoid the inferior vena cava (IVC). However, in cases with anatomical variations—particularly vascular anomalies, which most significantly impact surgical approaches—the right retroperitoneal approach may serve as a preferable alternative. This case report describes a 59-year-old man with lumbar instability and a rare left-sided IVC who underwent OLIF via a right approach. Preoperative imaging of this patient showed an isolated left IVC. The procedure was performed through a right-sided surgical corridor bounded medially by the abdominal aorta(AA) and laterally by the right psoas major muscle. The approach was supplemented with lateral screw-rod instrumentation to maintain stability. The patient's neurological function improved significantly after surgery, and the surgical approach proved to be feasible while maintaining biomechanical stability while avoiding vascular risk. This case highlights the importance of vascular evaluation before OLIF. Especially for the rare left-sided IVC, OLIF via right approach can effectively improve safety.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2025.1621533/fulloblique lumbar interbody fusionleft-sided inferior vena cavavascular anomalylateral screw-rod fixationlumbar degenerative disease |
| spellingShingle | Yuxin Meng Yuxin Meng Shangju Gao Fantao Meng Wenyi Li Yanwang Niu Yanwang Niu Jingchao Wei Oblique lumbar interbody fusion—address to an anatomical challenge: a case report Frontiers in Surgery oblique lumbar interbody fusion left-sided inferior vena cava vascular anomaly lateral screw-rod fixation lumbar degenerative disease |
| title | Oblique lumbar interbody fusion—address to an anatomical challenge: a case report |
| title_full | Oblique lumbar interbody fusion—address to an anatomical challenge: a case report |
| title_fullStr | Oblique lumbar interbody fusion—address to an anatomical challenge: a case report |
| title_full_unstemmed | Oblique lumbar interbody fusion—address to an anatomical challenge: a case report |
| title_short | Oblique lumbar interbody fusion—address to an anatomical challenge: a case report |
| title_sort | oblique lumbar interbody fusion address to an anatomical challenge a case report |
| topic | oblique lumbar interbody fusion left-sided inferior vena cava vascular anomaly lateral screw-rod fixation lumbar degenerative disease |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2025.1621533/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yuxinmeng obliquelumbarinterbodyfusionaddresstoananatomicalchallengeacasereport AT yuxinmeng obliquelumbarinterbodyfusionaddresstoananatomicalchallengeacasereport AT shangjugao obliquelumbarinterbodyfusionaddresstoananatomicalchallengeacasereport AT fantaomeng obliquelumbarinterbodyfusionaddresstoananatomicalchallengeacasereport AT wenyili obliquelumbarinterbodyfusionaddresstoananatomicalchallengeacasereport AT yanwangniu obliquelumbarinterbodyfusionaddresstoananatomicalchallengeacasereport AT yanwangniu obliquelumbarinterbodyfusionaddresstoananatomicalchallengeacasereport AT jingchaowei obliquelumbarinterbodyfusionaddresstoananatomicalchallengeacasereport |