Spinal Tumor Surgery

A growth that develops within your spinal canal or within the bones of your spine is called a spinal tumor. A spinal cord tumor, also known as intradural tumor, begins within the spinal cord or the covering of the spinal cord

Spinal Tumor Surgery - Overview

Spinal Tumor Surgery - Symptoms

Pain near the tumor
Back pain
Difficulty in walking
Loss of sensation
Muscle weakness

Spinal Tumor Surgery - Pre-Procedure

Before your surgery is performed your doctor may recommend that you should have a spinal tap be performed to remove a spinal cord tumor. This procedure helps the doctor to determine if the tumor is cancerous or noncancerous. It also helps to predict its risk of spreading.

Spinal Tumor Surgery - During Procedure

Ideally, the goal of spinal tumor treatment is to eliminate the tumor completely, but it may be complicated by the risk of permanent damage to the spinal cord. Treatment options for most spinal tumors include:-

Monitoring :- Some spinal tumors may be discovered before they cause symptoms like when you’re being evaluated for other conditions. If small tumors are not growing or pressing on surrounding tissues, watching them carefully may be all that’s needed. During the observation, your doctor will recommend you CT Scan or MRI scans at an appropriate interval to monitor the tumor.
Surgery :- This is often the treatment of choice for tumors that can be removed with an acceptable risk of spinal cord or nerve injury damage. Tumors that were once considered inaccessible can now be accessed with the help of newer techniques and instruments. The high-powered microscopes that are used in the microsurgery makes it easier to distinguish tumor from healthy tissue. So in order to not damage the spinal cord and other nerves the doctors during the surgery can watch their functions so that they can try not to damage them. In some instances to break up tumors and remove the fragments doctors use very high-frequency sound waves during the surgery.

Spinal Tumor Surgery - Post-Procedure

A complete recovery which consists of healing and therapy to recover from the neurological deficits caused by the tumor, can take a year or two in more severe cases. For tumors that require extensive stabilization, the surgical recovery can be 3-6 months. Also the doctor recommends the patient to rest as much as possible so that they can heal properly.