The role of minimally invasive techniques in the treatment of adult spinal deformity.

Many surgeons use minimally invasive surgery (MIS) approaches for treatment of patients with adult degenerative spinal deformity. The feasibility and efficacy of these techniques in the treatment of certain subtypes of degenerative deformities have been reported. In this article, several MIS techniques are discussed and an established 6-level treatment algorithm (MiSLAT) is presented, to help guide spinal surgeons in the use of MIS techniques for the treatment of patients with degenerative deformity.

The design, development, and implementation of a checklist for intraoperative neuromonitoring changes.

Object: The purpose of this study was to provide an evidence-based algorithm for the design, development, and implementation of a new checklist for the response to an intraoperative neuromonitoring alert during spine surgery.

Methods: The aviation and surgical literature was surveyed for evidence of successful checklist design, development, and implementation. The limitations of checklists and the barriers to their implementation were reviewed.