PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Shabani, Saman
AU  - Mummaneni, Praveen V.
AU  - Chan, Andrew
AU  - Huang, Jeremy
AU  - Agarwal, Nitin
AU  - Deviran, Vedat
AU  - Chou, Dean
TI  - Management of Thoracic Disc Pathology via the Lateral Approach: Advances Using the Minimally Invasive Approach and Navigation
AID  - 10.14444/8235
DP  - 2022 Apr 01
TA  - International Journal of Spine Surgery
PG  - S44--S52
VI  - 16
IP  - S1
4099  - https://www.ijssurgery.com/content/16/S1/S44.short
4100  - https://www.ijssurgery.com/content/16/S1/S44.full
SO  - Int J Spine Surg2022 Apr 01; 16
AB  - Historically, thoracic disc pathology has been treated via open thoracotomy or open posterior costotransversectomy or lateral extracavitary approaches. However, these approaches are associated with approach-related morbidity. With advancement in such minimally invasive approaches as the lateral interbody fusion coupled with navigation, the morbidity of approaching anterior thoracic spinal pathology may be reduced. There are subtleties and nuances in the thoracic approaches that are different from the lateral lumbar interbody approaches. We discuss our technique of the minimally invasive approach to the thoracic spine, management of the rib and pleura, and incorporation of navigation into the procedure.