Patient selection for minimally invasive spine surgery

Minimally invasive approaches to treat lumbar spine disease may carry many benefits over traditional open surgery with comparable patient outcomes. However, this advantage is conferred through appropriate patient selection. Not only do patient-specific anatomic factors influence the use of these techniques, but also surgeon familiarity with approaches. Adult spinal deformity surgery represents an area where minimally invasive spine (MIS) techniques have demonstrated significant impact in appropriately selected patients. Conversely, applying MIS techniques in patients inappropriate for minimally invasive surgery can result in complications, reoperations, and adverse outcomes. This chapter will highlight algorithms to guide patient and technique selection for MIS deformity surgery.