Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion for Thoracic and Thoracolumbar Disease: The Diaphragm Dilemma.

Lateral (retroperitoneal or retropleural) approaches to the thoracic and thoracolumbar spine may be used with complication rates comparable to well-established lumbar approaches. Extent of surgery (corpectomy vs discectomy) rather than level of surgery may represent the primary driver of complications.