Older people 'should not be denied minimally invasive surgery'RSS Feed

Older people should not be denied surgery to treat spinal injury conditions when minimally invasive procedures can be used, according to scientists.

Researchers from Spine Midwest in Jefferson City, Missouri, investigated the safety of two lumbar interbody fusion procedures in octogenarians and found that the minimally invasive option resulted in fewer complications, blood loss/transfusion rates and hospital stays.

Twenty patients underwent open posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and 40 participants had minimally-invasive extreme lateral interbody fusion (XLIF), with XLIF patients found to be discharged from the hospital an average of four days earlier than the PLIF patients.

In addition, six deaths were seen in the PLIF group, three of which were within the first three months after the operation, while one death occurred in the XLIF group, said the study published in journal Spine.

Meanwhile, Ian Semmons, chair of Action on Pain, has said that healthcare professionals should receive more training on how to help patients who experience chronic pain, which could help those with spinal injury.

News from Serious Law, specialist spinal injury solicitors

Posted by Timothy Walters
 

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