Profiles of Spinal Cord Tumors Removed through a Unilateral Hemilaminectomy

Abstract

Unilateral hemilaminectomy combined with microsurgical technique provides sufficient space for the removal of diverse spinal cord tumors. The basic profiles of the spinal cord tumors which can be removed through the unilateral hemilaminectomy demonstrate its role for the surgery of the benign spinal cord tumors in various sizes.

Minimally invasive surgery for benign intradural extramedullary spinal meningiomas: experience of a single institution in a cohort of elderly patients and review of the literature

“…However, this technique has some drawbacks that can complicate the postoperative outcome. It can produce spinal instability, epidural fibrosis, and postoperative axial pain 21–27,38. Postlaminectomy kyphosis is well recognized and commonly associated with instability, resulting in anterior compression of the spinal cord that can cause progressive myelopathy 30,41,55.…”

The Optimal Surgical Approach to Intradural Spinal Tumors: Laminectomy or Hemilaminectomy?

“…Another critical variable to consider when choosing a surgical corridor to an intradural spinal tumor is preservation of spinal stability. It has been noted by previous authors that kyphosis and post-operative instability occur secondary to the disruption of posterior spinal tension band [6][7][8][9][10][11]. Unfortunately, at our institution routine imaging was not performed for laminectomies or hemilaminectomies, and thus there was no direct measure of instability in the two groups.…”

“…The hemilaminectomy technique minimizes the bony removal and allows for preservation of the spinous process, the contralateral zygapophyseal joints, and the contralateral paraspinal musculature, which could potentially reduce the risk of postoperative instability, kyphosis, and pain [3,5,8]. Recent data have demonstrated positive clinical outcomes with respect to blood loss, complications, length of hospital stay, operative time, and most importantly post-operative instability when utilizing a hemilaminectomy approach [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. However, it remains unclear if these benefits are due to the reduced bony resection or the utilization of minimally invasive surgical (MIS) techniques compared to open surgery.…”

Hemilaminectomy for spinal meningioma: A case series of 20 patients with a focus on ventral- and ventrolateral lesions

“…The integrity of the ligamentum flavum, the supraspinous ligament, and the interspinous ligaments is crucial to the dynamic stability of the spine. Expansive laminoplasty may result in postoperative deformity of the spinal curvature, a possibility that surgeons must consider very carefully (36). Furthermore, laminoplasty and laminotomy are somewhat difficult, time-consuming procedures with a high risk of dural laceration, especially in elderly patients in whom the dura mater is thinner (37).…”