The spinal cord passes through the vertebral column, which forms a bony protective cover. However, a spinal tumour can compress the spinal cord or spinal nerves, leading to pain, loss of sensation, and/or motor function in the part of the body supplied by the compressed nerve. Thoracic vertebrectomy is the surgical removal of the vertebrae to decompress the nerve and restore function.
Thoracic vertebrectomy is indicated for both primary and metastatic tumours of the spine, as well as bone fractures or dislocations which cause severe decompression of the spinal cord and nerves. The surgery can be performed from either the front, back, or combined approach. You will be positioned accordingly and administered general anaesthesia. An incision is made over the diseased vertebrae and underlying muscles carefully separated. Once the diseased vertebra or vertebrae are located, the tumour is carefully resected along with the vertebrae. A margin of healthy tissue is maintained to ensure that all the tumour is removed. An implant is then carefully placed to occupy the defect left after resection. Adaptors on either end are secured to ensure the perfect anchorage of the implant. Once the surgery is complete, the incision is closed with sutures.
