Approach
Lateral (through the side)
Duration
~2 hours
Hospital stay
Typically 1–2 days
Overview
Accesses the lumbar spine through natural muscle planes from the side, avoiding disruption of back muscles and spinal nerves. Combined with robotic-guided posterior screw placement.
Who it's for
Patients with degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, degenerative scoliosis, or lumbar spinal stenosis — particularly when multiple disc levels (L2–L5) require treatment.
Why patients choose this approach
- Lateral incision (~3–5 cm) avoids back muscle disruption
- Particularly suited to multi-level lumbar disease
- CT-based robotic navigation for precise screw placement
Conditions treated
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degenerative disc disease describes age-related wear of the spinal discs that can lead to chronic neck or back pain and contribute to other spine problems including herniations, stenosis, and instability.
Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis is a condition in which one vertebra slips forward over the one below it, sometimes producing back pain, leg pain, and instability — though many patients have minimal or no symptoms.
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal that compresses the spinal cord or nerve roots, producing leg pain, walking limitation, and — in cervical cases — hand and balance problems.
This page is a general overview. Detailed surgical, recovery, and risk information is reviewed at your in-person consultation with Dr. Kazarian.