Abstract
To evaluate the efficacy of hemilaminectomy as an approach to intradural tumors and to assess the risk of postoperative spinal instability. This is a retrospective cohort study of 38 patients who underwent surgical resection of intradural tumors between November 2014 and March 2019. Clinical and radiological data were documented in medical records, from which we obtained clinical data including age, gender, tumor etiology, lesion level, type of resection, and postoperative instability during follow-up. Schwannomas and meningiomas were the most commonly treated tumors. The lesion locations were as follows: 8 cervical (21%), 19 thoracic (50%), 10 lumbar (26%), and 1 sacral (3%). The mean follow-up time was 28 months. In all cases, hemilaminectomy allowed for the removal of the tumors without clinical or radiologic evidence of postoperative mechanical instability. Hemilaminectomy was primarily performed on 2 segments but was extended to up to 6 levels in some cases. Unilateral hemilaminectomy is an effective technique that facilitates complete tumor removal with a low rate of postoperative instability in the operated segments.
Overview
- The study aims to evaluate the efficacy of hemilaminectomy as an approach to intradural tumors and assess the risk of postoperative spinal instability. It is a retrospective cohort study of 38 patients who underwent surgical resection of intradural tumors between November 2014 and March 2019. The study documents clinical and radiological data from medical records, including age, gender, tumor etiology, lesion level, type of resection, and postoperative instability during follow-up. The most commonly treated tumors were schwannomas and meningiomas, and the lesion locations were cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral. The mean follow-up time was 28 months. Hemilaminectomy allowed for the removal of the tumors without clinical or radiologic evidence of postoperative mechanical instability. The study primarily performed unilateral hemilaminectomy on 2 segments but was extended to up to 6 levels in some cases. The hypothesis being tested is that hemilaminectomy is an effective technique that facilitates complete tumor removal with a low rate of postoperative instability in the operated segments.
Comparative Analysis & Findings
- The study compares the outcomes observed under different experimental conditions or interventions, specifically hemilaminectomy versus other surgical approaches to intradural tumors. The study found that hemilaminectomy allowed for the removal of the tumors without clinical or radiologic evidence of postoperative mechanical instability. The study primarily performed unilateral hemilaminectomy on 2 segments but was extended to up to 6 levels in some cases. The study did not compare hemilaminectomy to other surgical approaches to intradural tumors, such as laminectomy or en bloc resection, in this study. The key findings of the study are that hemilaminectomy is an effective technique that facilitates complete tumor removal with a low rate of postoperative instability in the operated segments.
Implications and Future Directions
- The study's findings have significant implications for the field of research and clinical practice. Hemilaminectomy is an effective technique that facilitates complete tumor removal with a low rate of postoperative instability in the operated segments. The study's findings suggest that hemilaminectomy is a safe and effective surgical approach to intradural tumors. The study's limitations include its retrospective nature, which may introduce bias into the results. Future research should address these limitations by conducting prospective studies with larger sample sizes. Future research should also compare hemilaminectomy to other surgical approaches to intradural tumors, such as laminectomy or en bloc resection, to determine the optimal surgical approach for each patient. The study's findings suggest that hemilaminectomy is a promising surgical approach to intradural tumors, and future research should continue to explore its use in clinical practice.