Seoul St. Mary's Hospital Neurosurgery, World-Class Research on Oblique Lateral Minimally Invasive Spinal Fusion

Professor Jinseong Kim, Department of Neurosurgery, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Professor Jinseong Kim of the Department of Neurosurgery at Catholic University Seoul St. Mary's Hospital's research on 'Oblique Lateral (side approach) Minimally Invasive Spinal Fusion Surgery' has been published in the official journal of the World Orthopedic Society, recognized as world-class.

According to Seoul St. Mary's Hospital on the 11th, Professor Lin's orthopedic team from Xi'an University in China recently announced in their paper titled ‘Surgical Study of Oblique Lateral Minimally Invasive Spinal Fusion Surgery (OLIF)’ that after analyzing all papers published from January 2012 to August last year, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital has published the most research and papers in the field of oblique lateral minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery, surpassing UCLA in the United States. Furthermore, Professor Kim was the author with the highest number of papers published worldwide.

The oblique lateral minimally invasive spinal fusion surgery is a cutting-edge treatment method that performs surgery through a small incision of about 4 cm on the side without making a wide cut on the back or waist. Through the incision, the disc is removed, and from the posterior side, screws are fixed using minimally invasive surgical techniques to treat spinal stenosis or spondylolisthesis. This surgical method was introduced in 2012 to complement the shortcomings of the existing direct lateral interbody fusion (DLIF/XLIF) and was first introduced in Korea by Professor Kim in 2013.

This surgery has many advantages, such as very little bleeding and minimal tissue damage, and is spreading mainly among leading university hospitals and specialized hospitals in Korea. It can be applied to most degenerative lumbar diseases. Additionally, the contact area with the disc is wider than in posterior fusion surgery, significantly reducing complications related to interbody cages, showing relatively superior results even in elderly patients with osteoporosis.

Professor Kim said, “Our institution's unique research achievements are greatly influenced by Professor Choon-geun Park, who founded the Korean Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Society (KOMISS) in 2002 and served as its first president, leading minimally invasive spine surgery in Korea.” He added, “We will continue to carry out research and clinical practice with the mission of establishing Seoul St. Mary's Hospital as a global mecca for minimally invasive spinal treatment not only in Korea but also overseas.”

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