Surgical Techniques Used in Spine Tumor Surgery

Every year, about 10,000 people in the US get metastatic spinal cord tumors. Studies show 30% to 70% of cancer patients will develop spine metastases. Primary spinal tumors, starting in the spine, are rare.

Spinal tumors can form in your spinal column, which includes vertebrae, the spinal cord, and its surrounding tissues. Most often, these tumors are caused by cancer spreading from elsewhere in the body.

There are so many techniques that are used in spine tumor surgery to treat the cause and if you want to know about them then read this article till the end.

What is Spine Tumor Surgery?

A spinal tumor is a growth in the spinal cord or nearby bones. It can be cancerous or not, causing pain and paralysis even noncancerous tumors in the spinal cord are worrying. This is due to the spine's crucial role in body function.

Surgical Techniques Used in Spine Tumor Surgery

1. Laminectomy

Severe back or neck pain can require surgery and a laminectomy removes part or all of the lamina, a bone in the spine. This surgery eases pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots. It's often needed for injuries, herniated disks, canal narrowing, or tumors. Doctors consider a laminectomy only after trying other treatments.

2. Spinal Fusion

Spinal fusion is a surgery to connect two vertebrae, making your back stronger and more stable. This connection helps reduce pain and symptoms.

3. Vertebroplasty

Vertebroplasty injects cement into a cracked or broken spinal bone to ease pain. These bones are called vertebrae. It mainly treats compression fractures. These occur due to osteoporosis, which weakens bones, mostly in older people.

Most compression fractures show no symptoms and need no treatment. However, vertebroplasty could be beneficial if you have severe or lasting pain.

4. Debulking

Debulking surgery, or cytoreduction, reduces cancer in the body. It's often best to surgically remove the entire tumor or all tumors. Yet, some cancers are too widespread or close to vital organs for complete removal. In these cases, debulking surgery aims to remove as much cancer as possible safely. The rest is treated with chemotherapy or radiation.

Conclusion

Spine tumor surgery uses various advanced techniques. These are chosen based on the tumor and the patient's condition. Methods include laminectomy, fusion, vertebroplasty, and debulking.

They also use minimally invasive methods like endoscopy and laser. These aim to remove or shrink tumors with minimal impact. Before surgery, imaging and planning enhance safety. Post-surgery, care and rehab are crucial for recovery.