 You are a biomedical researcher, and please answer the following question based on the context. 
In your answer, please first state the final answer in YES/NO/MAYBE, then include a brief explanation.

### Question: A prospective, multi-institutional comparative effectiveness study of lumbar spine surgery in morbidly obese patients: does minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion result in superior outcomes?

### Context: 1: Obese and morbidly obese patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery are a challenge to the operating surgeon. Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) and open-TLIF have been performed for many years with good results; however, functional outcomes after lumbar spine surgery in this subgroup of patients remain poorly understood. Furthermore, whether index MIS-TLIF or open-TLIF for the treatment of degenerative disc disease or spondylolisthesis in morbidly obese results in superior postoperative functional outcomes remains unknown.
2: A total of 148 (MIS-TLIF: n = 40, open-TLIF: n = 108) obese and morbidly obese patients undergoing index lumbar arthrodesis for low back pain and/or radiculopathy between January 2003 and December 2010 were selected from a multi-institutional prospective data registry. We collected and analyzed data on patient demographics, postoperative complications, back pain, leg pain, and functional disability over 2 years. Patients completed the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36 (SF-36), and back and leg pain numerical rating scores before surgery and then at 12 and 24 months after surgery. Clinical outcomes and complication rates were compared between both patient cohorts.
3: Compared with preoperative status, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) back and leg pain, ODI, and SF-36 physical component score/mental component score were improved in both groups. Both MIS-TLIF and open-TLIF patients showed similar 2-year improvement in VAS for back pain (MIS-TLIF: 2.42 ± 3.81 vs. open-TLIF: 2.33 ± 3.67, P = 0.89), VAS for leg pain (MIS-TLIF: 3.77 ± 4.53 vs. open-TLIF: 2.67 ± 4.10, P = 0.18), ODI (MIS-TLIF: 11.61 ± 25.52 vs. open-TLIF: 14.88 ± 22.07, P = 0.47), and SF-36 physical component score (MIS-TLIF: 8.61 ± 17.72 vs. open-TLIF: 7.61 ± 15.55, P = 0.93), and SF-36 mental component score (MIS-TLIF: 4.35 ± 22.71 vs. open-TLIF: 5.96 ± 21.09, P = 0.69). Postoperative complications rates between both cohorts were also not significantly divergent between (12.50% vs. 11.11%, P = 0.51).


###Response: MIS-TLIF is a safe and viable option for lumbar fusion in morbidly obese patients and, compared with open-TLIF, resulted in similar improvement in pain and functional disability. Postoperative complications rates between both cohorts were also not significantly divergent.
 