Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Clin Cases. Aug 26, 2026; 14(24): 120680
Published online Aug 26, 2026. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.120680
Published online Aug 26, 2026. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.120680
Awake robotic lumbar decompression and fusion: A case report
Andrew Daigle, Christian Quinones, Huy Tran, Garrett Whipple, Deepak Kumbhare, Bharat Guthikonda, Stanley Hoang, Department of Neurosurgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71103, United States
Varsha Allampalli, Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA 71103, United States
Author contributions: Daigle A, Quinones C, Whipple G, and Hoang S designed the case report; Quinones C, Whipple G, Kumbhare D, and Allampalli V acquired and analyzed the clinical data; Daigle A and Tran H provided technical oversight, editing of the manuscript and figure curation; Hoang S and Guthikonda B performed the surgical procedure; Quinones C and Whipple G drafted the manuscript; Kumbhare D, Allampalli V, Guthikonda B, and Hoang S critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content; and all authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
AI contribution statement: AI tools were used solely for limited linguistic refinement and formatting assistance during manuscript preparation. All AI-generated edits were manually reviewed and revised by the authors. No AI tool was involved in the conceptualization, data analysis, clinical interpretation, or scientific content of this manuscript, and the authors take full responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the work.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to disclose.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Stanley Hoang, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA 71103, United States. stanley.hoang@lsuhs.edu
Received: March 5, 2026
Revised: May 29, 2026
Accepted: August 10, 2026
Published online: August 26, 2026
Processing time: 167 Days and 19.9 Hours
Revised: May 29, 2026
Accepted: August 10, 2026
Published online: August 26, 2026
Processing time: 167 Days and 19.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) provides several advantages, including reduced intraoperative blood loss, shorter recovery times, and decreased length of hospitalization. Cortical bone trajectory screws further enhance MISS by allowing a medial-to-lateral trajectory that reduces the need for extensive retraction, permits smaller incisions, and provides robust biomechanical fixation. Robotic spine surgery complements these techniques by offering enhanced intraoperative imaging and improved precision in hardware placement. Awake spine surgery performed under spinal anesthesia can be combined with robotic techniques to further shorten recovery and reduce postoperative pain.