Awake Spinal Fusion

>> Awake spinal fusion (ASF) integrates advancements in surgical techniques and anesthetic modalities with the aim to maximize benefits and improve outcomes from the surgical and anesthetic standpoints.>> ASF employs minimally invasive or endoscopic surgical techniques that are complemented by regional modalities of anesthesia and analgesia.>> The current evidence, albeit limited, has shown better results with ASF in terms of postoperative pain scores, a patient's need for opioids, postoperative hospital length of stay, and rehabilitation compared with the conventional technique of open spinal fusion with the patient under general anesthesia.