What it is
TLIF fuses a lumbar segment from a posterior (back) approach: the damaged disc is removed, a spacer restores the disc height and alignment, and screws stabilize the level while the bone heals together. It simultaneously decompresses the nerves and eliminates the painful motion of an unstable segment.
When it's recommended
- Spondylolisthesis — a slipped vertebra with nerve compression or instability
- Degenerative disc disease with instability that has failed conservative care
- Recurrent disc herniation or stenosis with instability at the same level
As with every procedure in this practice, surgery is offered only after conservative options have been genuinely explored — or when the diagnosis clearly calls for it.
How it's performed
Dr. Pompliano frequently performs TLIF minimally invasively — through tubular retractors with small incisions — and has presented comparative research on open versus minimally invasive TLIF outcomes at international meetings. Robotic assistance and navigation are used when they add real precision to screw placement.
Recovery & return to activity
- Typically a 1–2 night hospital stay
- Walking begins the day of or day after surgery
- Desk work commonly within a few weeks; physical work is a longer, staged return
- The fusion matures over months — with activity progressing steadily throughout
Recovery details vary by patient and by the specifics of each operation — your individual plan, restrictions, and milestones are set with you before surgery and refined at follow-up.
Related: Spondylolisthesis · ALIF · XLIF
Already been told you need this procedure? A second opinion is always welcome.