Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion (LLIF / XLIF)

Lateral lumbar interbody fusion reaches the disc through a small incision on the side of the body, passing between the abdominal muscles and through the psoas muscle with continuous nerve monitoring. Because the approach avoids both the back muscles and the abdominal cavity, it allows placement of a large spacer that restores disc height, opens the nerve foramina indirectly, and corrects alignment — with minimal blood loss.

LLIF is particularly valuable for degenerative scoliosis, multilevel disease, and fusion adjacent to a previous operation.

How the procedure is done

1. General anesthesia; positioned on the side.
2. A 3–4 cm incision on the flank; the retroperitoneal space is entered bluntly.
3. Nerve monitoring guides passage through the psoas muscle.
4. The disc is removed and a wide interbody spacer with bone graft is placed.
5. Stabilization with a lateral plate or with percutaneous pedicle screws from the back (same day or staged).

Recovery

Temporary hip flexor weakness or thigh numbness on the approach side is common and usually resolves over weeks. Walking the same day; home in 1–2 days; fusion precautions for six weeks.

Risks, stated plainly

Thigh numbness or weakness (usually temporary), nerve injury, bowel or vascular injury (rare), non-union, hardware failure. Dr. Daggubati reviews the specific risks for your situation in person before any decision is made.

Conditions treated with this procedure

• Lumbar Spondylolisthesis
• Lumbar Spinal Stenosis & Neurogenic Claudication