Tenth Rib: Thoracoabdominal Approach
(1) Marina Spine Center, Marina del Rey, CA, USA 1. Place the patient in the lateral decubitus position. Approach from the convexity of the scoliosis or from the left…
Anterior Retroperitoneal Flank Approach to L5–S1
(1) Marina Spine Center, Marina del Rey, CA, USA 1. For the left retroperitoneal approach to L5-S1, place the patient in the right lateral decubitus position held by either…
Anterior Approach to the Cervicothoracic Spine
(1) Cedars-Sinai Spine Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA Anterior exposure of the cervicothoracic spine (C7 to T2) presents a significant challenge because of the limited access afforded by anatomical…
Tubular Approaches to the Posterior Cervical Spine
Fig. 43.1 (a) Patient in sitting position with a compatible Mayfield being put in place; (b) tubular retractor system including sequential dilators; (c) working channel (retractor); (d) table-mounted flexible retractor…
Third Rib Resection in the Transthoracic Approach
(1) Marina Spine Center, Marina del Rey, CA, USA The 3rd rib resection is used for the transthoracic approach to the T1–T4 area. Resection of the 3rd rib allows…
Transaxillary Approach to the Upper Dorsal Spine
(1) Marina del Rey, CA, USA Deceased For female patients, and for males of slender build, the transaxillary transthoracic approach is an alternative to the posterior parascapular approach to…
Anterior Lateral Approach to the Upper Cervical Spine
(1) Marina Spine Center, Marina del Rey, CA, USA The anterior lateral approach is medial to the sternocleidomastoid muscle and lateral to the carotid sheath. For approaches to C1,…
Twelfth Rib Approach
(1) Marina Spine Center, Marina del Rey, CA, USA The 12th rib resection with flank incision was developed to allow better exposure of the kidney (Fig. 22.1) [1 –…
Lincoln Highway Approach to the Cervical Spine
(1) Marina Spine Center, Marina del Rey, CA, USA Occasionally the need arises for maximally expanded exposure of the cervical spine. For exposure of multilevel anterior cervical disease from…
Anterior Medial Approach to C1, C2, and C3
(1) Marina Spine Center, Marina del Rey, CA, USA 1. The standard approach is from the left side to avoid the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Rotate the head to the…
