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OBJECTIVE: Mini-transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (Mini-TLIF) and other minimally invasive approaches introduced for the purpose of treating lumbar degenerative disc disease and instability are achieving high success and safety rates as the conventional approaches. Moreover, it has less soft tissue damage, minimal blood loss, and less hospital stay. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted from 2012 to 2014 on 28 patients who were subjected to Mini-open TLIF combined with transpedicular screw fixation for spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc disease. Two paramedian approaches were done, 4 cm for each, to insert the pedicular screws, along with inserting unilateral TLIF cage with autologous bone graft. Decompression was done either unilateral or bilateral according to the patient side of radiculopathy. Sixteen patients (57.2%) were diagnosed with degenerative spondylolisthesis, 7 patients (25%) were diagnosed with isthmic type spondylolisthesis, and 5 patients (17.8%) were diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, 2 of them(7.1%) had previous operations at the same level. Twenty patients (71.4%) were operated at the L4/5 level, and 8 patients (28.6%) at the L5/S1 level. RESULTS: All patients were able to ambulate the next day of surgery. The mean estimated blood loss was 251.79mL. The average hospital stay was 4.14 days. The average follow-up was 9 months. The mean visual analog scale was 1.86 at discharge, 1.68 after 3 months, and 1.38 after 6 months. After 6 months of the operation, MacNab's criteria were good in 23 patients and excellent in 5 patients. We had one case with transient weakness, 2 cases of screw malposition without clinical manifestations, and one case of infection. CONCLUSION: Mini-TLIF approach is an efficient and safe approach for treating instability and degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine. The clinical outcome is encouraging and it may be an operation of choice for lumbar spinal fusion in selected patients.
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AIM: Midline anterior skull base meningiomas include olfactory groove meningiomas (OGMs), Tuberculum Sellae meningiomas (TSMs), and planum sphenoidale meningiomas (PSMs). The main surgical challenge in treating these lesions is to excise the tumor totally without causing mortality or morbidity. Studying the clinical patterns and the surgical outcomes of these lesions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty cases of midline anterior skull base lesions were included in our study. Patients were operated upon by four routes: (i) unilateral subfrontal, (ii) bilateral subfrontal, (iii) frontotemporal approach, and (iv) bifrontal basal interhemispheric. Extent of resection was classified according to the Simpson grading system. The functional outcome of the patients was assessed by comparing the preoperative and the postoperative neurological examination, as well as the Karnofsky performance scale. RESULTS: We had 14 OGMs (46.7%), 9 TSMs (30%), and 7 PSMs (23.3%). The most commonly utilized approach was the subfrontal approach (unilateral or bilateral) in 80% of the cases, followed by the pterional approach in 16.6% of the cases. Total removal was achieved in 86.7% of the cases; subtotal excision was achieved in 13.3% of the cases. 41.2% of our cases showed postoperative clinical improvement. We had two mortalities in our study, representing 6.7%. We did not detect any tumor recurrences in our follow up. The median preoperative Karnofsky scale was 85, while the median postoperative Karnofsky scale was 90. CONCLUSION: Midline anterior skull base lesions are becoming amenable for total surgical excision with minimal morbidities and mortalities. Most preferred surgical routes are the subfrontal and the pterional approaches.