Treatment of Spinal Tumor in India
The treatment plan for a spinal tumor patient is designed based on several parameters including the results of diagnostic test, overall health of the patient, and the severity of the symptoms. The spinal tumor surgeons in India work together with multidisciplinary team of specialists to customize the plan for each patient.
Surgical removal is recommended for most symptomatic spinal cord tumors. The surgery is typically performed to excise the tumor. Further treatment with radiation or chemotherapy may be indicated on the basis of the type of tumor and result of the surgery. The type of surgery performed for treatment impacts may factors including the overall Spine Tumor Surgery cost in India and the length of recovery.
The treatment plan may include one of the following surgical treatment options:
Posterolateral resection
This procedure involves the removal of spine tumors and reinforcement of the spine through an incision made by the surgeon in the middle of the back. The advantage of this method is that it reduces the risk of complications and recovery time. This helps a person heal facter, allowing them to receive radiation therapy or other treatments sooner.
En bloc resection
In this surgery, the surgeon removes the tumor as a single piece. This resection is most commonly used for complete removal of primary tumors, such as giant cell tumors, chordomas and low-grade chondrosarcomas. These tumors are located in the bones of the spine or next to the spine.
Minimally Invasive Surgery for Spinal Tumor Treatment in India
A majority of surgeons now prefer to conduct minimally invasive surgery when it comes to the treatment of spinal tumors. This procedure requires only a small incision as compared to the conventional open surgery procedure. This results in minimal tissue disruption and thus, these procedures are sometimes conducted on an outpatient basis.
The following are the two popular minimally-invasive surgical procedures conducted for the treatment of cracked or collapsed vertebrae, which is one of the most common complications of spinal tumors.
Kyphoplasty
A narrow tube is guided to the fractured area with the help of fluoroscopy by making a small incision in the back of the patient. A small balloon is inserted into the vertebra through the tube. This step is guided with the help of X-ray images.
The balloon is then inflated to elevate the fracture, which helps in returning the pieces back into their normal position. The soft inner bone also gets into a compact position leaving a cavity inside the vertebrae. The balloon is removed and the cavity is filled with a material such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) under low pressure. The material gets coagulated quickly and stabilizes the bone.
Vertebroplasty
The patient is administered a local anesthesia before the procedure. A biopsy needle is inserted into the fractured vertebra with the spinal tumor. The procedure is conducted under the guidance of X-ray imaging by making a small incision in the patient’s body.
An acrylic bone cement is injected into the fractured vertebra under low pressure. This fills the space created in the bone and the vertebral bone gets stabilized by congealing the fragments of the fractured vertebra. The needle is removed and the incision is covered with a bandage.
Open surgery for Spinal Tumor Treatment in India
Open surgery is only recommended for patients with slow-growing metastatic spinal tumors and those with only one spinal tumor.
Spinal stabilization surgery
This procedure is performed with the aim to stabilize the spine by reducing the deformity that may have developed due to the tumor. General anesthesia is administered to the patient prior to the surgery.
A cut is made in the patient’s body for each pedicle to be inserted. Muscle fibers are set apart and the pedicle screws are inserted. The rods are contoured and cut according to the desired curve of the spine.
The rods are threaded and then guided along the muscular canal to pass through all the extender sleeves. Once the rods are properly placed, they are rotated to fix into the final position. Besides rigid rods and screws, other devices may also be used to stabilize the spine. These may include the following:
- Screws and cords
- Screws and rods with movable parts
- Screws, cords, and spacers
- Flexible screws and flexible rods
- Screws and flexible rods
- Screws and inflatable rods
Spinal decompression surgery
Spinal nerve compression due to the presence of a tumor is relieved with the help of spinal decompression surgery. The doctor may select any one of the following approaches to perform the spinal decompression surgery. The selection of the approach depends on the overall condition of the patient.
- Corpectomy: It involves the removal of all or a part of the affected vertebral body.
- Laminectomy: It involves the removal of a small part of the lamina of the spinal canal.
- Costotransversectomy: This procedure is performed to remove a part of the affected rib along with the transverse process of the vertebra.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS): This is not a surgical method but a radiation treatment. The cancer specialists use stereotactic radiosurgery which involves treatment with highly targeted radiation beams from multiple angles converging together, to treat both benign or malignant spinal tumors. It is a very precise and minimally invasive technique that results in less damage to the healthy tissues around the tumor. The procedure has many advantages including less post-operative discomfort, faster recovery and a very low risk of infection or complications in comparison to open surgery. Spinal tumor treatment in India is offered with the most sophisticated equipment for SRS such as the CyberKnife, proton beams, and linear accelerators.
