TLIF-MIS VS TLIF-OPEN: COST EVALUATION

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the direct costs of transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) and minimally invasive surgery (MIS) or open technique (OPEN). Methods: The present study is descriptive and retrospective. Sixteen patients with degenerative spinal pathology operated on with the TLIF MIS technique and TLIF OPEN were included over a 13-month period. Days of hospital stay, blood loss, surgical time, medical care and costs were compared. Results: The mean number of days of hospital stay was 6.7 ± 4.3 days with TLIF MIS and 11.1 ± 6.5 days with TLIF OPEN. The blood loss was 307 ± 81.6 ml (range 200400 ml) with TLIF MIS and 803 ± 701.3 ml (range 200-1800 ml) with TLIF OPEN. The surgical time was 320 ± 92.6 minutes (range 210-500 minutes) in TLIF MIS and 372 ± 95.2 minutes (280-540 minutes) in TLIF OPEN. Conclusions: The difference in surgical costs and time between the two procedures was not statistically significant. There was less bleeding during the TLIF-MIS surgery, as well as a correlation between shorter days of hospital stay proportional to bleeding and surgical time, which translates into a reduction in the cost of these items. Level of Evidence III; Analysis based on alternatives and limited costs.