The lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) technique promoted a revolution in spine surgery by providing effective and safe access to the L1–L5 due to its minimally invasive philosophy, ability to promote indirect decompression while providing segment stabilization and segmental lordosis correction. One key aspect to the safety of the LLIF technique is to adhere to the technical steps and to use a neuromonitoring device to diminish the risks of neurological injuries. The use approach to L4–L5 is one of the most critical and feared by surgeons initiating their learning curves; however, recent study shows that with proper training and technique, the L4–L5 level does not lead to significantly higher risks of complications. Recent developments promise to improve even further the capabilities of the LLIF, mainly the use of expandable devices and the use of enabling technologies, such as navigation and robotics.