When Less Is More: The indications for MIS Techniques and Separation Surgery in Metastatic Spine Disease

Study Design. Systematic review. Objective. The aim of this study was to review the techniques, indications, and outcomes of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and separation surgery with subsequent radiosurgery in the treatment of patients with metastatic spine disease. Summary of Background Data. The utilization of MIS techniques in patients with spine metastases is a growing area within spinal oncology. Separation surgery represents a novel paradigm where radiosurgery provides long-term control after tumor is surgically separated from the neural elements. Methods. PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL databases were systematically queried for literature reporting MIS techniques or separation surgery in patients with metastatic spine disease. PRISMA guidelines were followed. Results. Of the initial 983 articles found, 29 met inclusion criteria. Twenty-five articles discussed MIS techniques and were grouped according to the primary objective: percutaneous stabilization (8), tubular retractors (4), mini-open approach (8), and thoracoscopy/endoscopy (5). The remaining 4 studies reported separation surgery. Indications were similar across all studies and included patients with instability, refractory pain, or neurologic compromise. Intraoperative variables, outcomes, and complications were similar in MIS studies compared to traditional approaches, and some MIS studies showed a statistically significant improvement in outcomes. Studies of mini-open techniques had the strongest evidence for superiority. Conclusions. Low-quality evidence currently exists for MIS techniques and separation surgery in the treatment of metastatic spine disease. Given the early promising results, the next iteration of research should include higher-quality studies with sufficient power, and will be able to provide higher-level evidence on the outcomes of MIS approaches and separation surgery. Level of Evidence: N/A

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