• Wolfgang Senker, Harald Stefanits, Matthias Gmeiner, Wolfgang Trutschnig, Ingo Weinfurter, and Andreas Gruber.
• Department of Neurosurgery, Kepler University Hospital, Neuromed Campus, Linz, Austria.
• World Neurosurg. 2018 Mar 1; 111: e374-e385.

ObjectiveThe impact of obesity on spine surgery has been studied extensively, but only a few investigations have been focused on minimally invasive spinal fusion techniques and complication rates in normal-weight, preobese, or obese patients. Obesity was found to be a risk factor for intraoperative complications. Published data tend to favor minimal access surgery techniques (MAST) for obese patients. In a prospective study, we assessed the perioperative and postoperative complications of MAST in a large population of 187 patients.MethodsWe evaluated perioperative and postoperative complication rates in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) fusion techniques of the lumbar spine in obese, preobese, and normal-weight patients, classified by body mass index (BMI). Lumbar MIS fusion was performed by interbody fusion procedures and posterolateral fusion. In cases of spinal stenosis, a laminotomy was performed (146 patients). Any harmful event occurring during or after surgery was included in the statistical analysis.ResultsNo infection or severe wound healing disorder was encountered in the series. No significant difference in terms of cerebrospinal fluid leakage, blood loss, drainage, or length of hospital stay between the 3 BMI groups was encountered. More clinically insignificant hematomas were encountered in the preobese and obese groups (P = 0.013) than in the normal-weight patients. No significant difference was registered between the BMI or age groups regarding overall complication rates.ConclusionWe conclude that preobese and obese patients are good candidates for MAST because BMI did not affect complication rates or duration of surgery.Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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