Dilator for spinal surgery

A dilator for percutaneous spinal surgery with a transforaminal approach, the dilator comprising:

• a main elongate dilator body having an outer portion, the outer portion comprising a recess;
• and
• an elongate nerve shield for protecting a nerve root, the shield having a curved laminar shape comprising an inner surface and an outer surface parallel to one another to form a slender body;
• the main body and the shield each comprising mutually complementary contact surfaces and in which the main body and the shield define a transverse cross section of the dilator having a continuous elliptical shape, the main body configured to receive the shield in the recess to slide relative to each other along an axial axis of the dilator, the dilator further comprising a through hole enclosed by the main body extending through the dilator for receiving a guide cable, wherein the through hole is placed eccentrically with respect to the transverse cross section of the dilator, and wherein the main body comprises an equal or larger dimension than the shield along the axial axis of the dilator.