Complications of minimally invasive surgery in lumbar disc herniation in older adults: A systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35381/s.v.v10i2.5250Keywords:
Minimally invasive surgical procedures, intervertebral disc displacement, aged, postoperative complications, (Source: DeCS).Abstract
Lumbar disc herniation is a frequent cause of radicular pain and disability in older adults, a group with high surgical risk due to frailty and multimorbidity. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has become an alternative to open surgery, although uncertainty remains about its complications in this population. The aim was to characterize the complications associated with MIS in older adults with lumbar disc herniation. A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA statement in PubMed, SciELO and Google Scholar, covering publications from 2020 to 2026; five studies were selected. MIS showed a favorable safety profile, with complication rates comparable to those of younger patients and a predominance of mild events. Frailty, high body mass index, procedural complexity and operative time predicted risk better than chronological age. It is concluded that advanced age alone does not contraindicate MIS.
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