CONTRA-LATERAL
APPROACH
Use the advantage of free handing of visual direction.
You can go anywhere In the water.
Deep breath and keep going !
Ground Plans
An exiting root can be compressed
at the foramen due to foramina LDH
and/or foramina stenosis for severe
collapsed disc space with hypertrophied LF and spur of superior
articular process. To access the
foramen, there are two ways. One is
contralateral approach with a long
way but familiar circumstance and
the other is far-lateral approach with
a short way but unfamiliar views for
relatively few cases. In this issue, we
are going to see the contralateral
approach first.
To reach the contralateral exiting
root, ipsilateral distal side of the
lamina, base of spinous process,
contralateral upper, inferior side of
the lamina should be removed first
to make working space enough for
an endoscope and a certain instru4
InU’rMind
1. Rt. sided inlets are lower
and lateral about 5mm than
the Lt.sided inlets.
2. Make enough working space
in the second base camp
3. After bony preparation by
burring is finished, LF
should be removed.
ment to reach the foramen across
the midline and then foraminal site
could be explored(Issue 2).
At foramen, the roof overhanging
the pedicle, foraminal LF and
superior tips of superior articular
process should be removed more
than mid-level of the disc space and
clearly inspect the exiting root.