Emory Healthcare announced that one of its neurosurgery teams completed “what is believed to be the world’s first” continuously navigated endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) fusion, “advancing a minimally invasive approach to lower spine surgery.”
The team, led by Daniel Refai, MD, professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine, performed the procedure at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta.
Emory stated that Dr. Refai and other surgeons combined endoscopic visualization with real-time surgical navigation throughout the operation—“from planning the incision and accessing the spine to preparing the disc space, placing the implant and securing the screws.” Emory stated that the approach not only gave the surgeons continuous guidance during the complex procedure, but also helped them “stay targeted while working through small surgical openings.”
“This is an important advancement for minimally invasive spine surgery,” said Dr. Refai. “Continuous navigation helps the surgical team stay oriented throughout the procedure, supporting precision and accuracy while limiting disruption to surrounding tissue.” He added, “Endoscopic spine surgery requires surgeons to work through a small opening with a very focused view, which can make it technically challenging. Continuous navigation adds a live map to that view, helping us understand where we are in relation to the patient’s anatomy as the procedure moves forward.”
Emory stated that the approach offers surgeons several potential advantages, including “smaller incisions, less tissue disruption, reduced reliance on fluoroscopy and improved accuracy in screw placement… The technology may also help create more reproducible workflows and make advanced endoscopic techniques easier for more surgeons to adopt over time.”
The health system noted that additional study is required to connect the new approach with “patient outcomes, operating room efficiency and broader adoption.”
