Surgical access system and related methods
AssigneeNuVasive, Inc.
InventorsLuiz Pimenta, Patrick Miles, Scot Martinelli, Eric Finley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue retraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site. Some embodiments of the surgical access system may be particularly suited for establishing an operative corridor to a surgical target site in the spine. Such an operative corridor may be established through the retroperitoneal space and the psoas muscle during a direct lateral, retroperitoneal approach to the spine.
Claims30
A method included in providing surgical access to a spinal target site in a human patient through a substantially lateral, retroperitoneal approach, the method comprising:
- inserting at least a portion of a finger of a surgeon through a first, posteriolateral incision and into a retroperitoneal space;
- sweeping at least a portion of the finger in the retroperitoneal space;
- inserting a distal tip of a dilation member through a second, substantially lateral incision and into the retroperitoneal space;
- using at least a portion of the finger to guide the distal tip of the dilation member within the retroperitoneal space toward a psoas muscle;
- and
- advancing the distal tip of the dilation member in a substantially lateral direction through the psoas muscle toward a spinal target site while using a stimulation electrode on the dilation member to monitor for the presence of nerves in the vicinity of the dilation member.
A method of accessing a spinal target site in a human patient, comprising:
- creating a distraction corridor to a spinal target site through a substantially lateral, retroperitoneal approach, comprising:
- inserting at least a portion of a finger of an operating surgeon through a first, posteriolateral incision and into a retroperitoneal space,
- sweeping at least a portion of the finger in the retroperitoneal space;
- inserting a distal end of a dilation member through a second, substantially lateral incision and into the retroperitoneal space, using at least a portion of the finger to guide the distal end of the dilation member within the retroperitoneal space, and
- advancing the dilation member in a substantially lateral direction toward the spinal target site;
- and
- retracting said distraction corridor to produce an operative corridor to said spinal target site.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.