Q: What kind of tumor is teratoma, is it malignant or benign, and why does it recur? A: Teratoma is a tumor of congenital embryonic germ cells remaining in the body and growing into a tumor at a certain age, which is divided into benign teratoma and malignant teratoma. Benign teratoma contains skin, hair, teeth, bones, grease, nerve tissue, etc. Malignant teratomas are poorly differentiated, with no or little formed tissue and poorly defined structures. Most early teratomas have no obvious clinical symptoms and are mostly discovered incidentally during physical examination. They are mostly found in the skull, spinal cord, and occasionally in the stomach, testes, and ovaries, with different sites of growth and different presenting symptoms. It can develop at all ages. Once detected, surgery should be performed as soon as possible. Benign teratoma can be cured by total excision, but if it cannot be removed completely, for example, if it is closely attached to the spinal nerve, it is often difficult to cut it completely to avoid damaging the nerve too much, and some of the envelope will remain, and this situation is prone to recurrence. Malignant teratoma requires radiotherapy and chemotherapy after surgery, and the recurrence rate is high and the prognosis is extremely poor. Q: How to restore the function of the spinal cord after teratoma surgery, and can I still live like a normal person? A: If the adhesion between the envelope and the spinal cord nerve is not tight, it can be expected to be removed completely. The paralysis and urinary and fecal dysfunction that appeared in the patient before the operation are expected to recover slowly after the operation. There is an instrument that can quickly help the recovery of nerve function – transcranial magnetic stimulator, and early postoperative stimulation of the spinal cord is expected to help the recovery of spinal cord function and restore lower limb movement and urinary and fecal function. This is the author’s clinical experience. Q: How can I find out I have a tumor in my spinal cord? A: If you have limb numbness, weakness, pain, and bowel and urinary disorders, you can check the spinal MRI as early as possible to clearly find out whether the spinal cord has a tumor or is compressed by a herniated disc, so that you can find the patient and treat the cause, and treat the symptom. I want to emphasize here that a neurosurgeon who does not help restore nerve function is not a qualified neurosurgeon, and that only a doctor who understands these techniques can guide patients on how to treat them and not miss the best treatment time. Time is life, time is function, once you miss the best time and the best treatment, it is too late to regret. Q: What should I pay attention to after teratoma surgery? A: Patients with spinal cord teratoma are often combined with abdominal distension and constipation, so diet should be high in dietary fiber. After surgery, patients should eat more nutritious food and anti-tumor food, avoid eating hairy food, such as rooster, goose, etc., avoid smoking and alcohol, avoid eating greasy, fatty, pickled, seafood, spicy and stimulating food, etc. After surgery, the spine must be fixed by wearing a chest or waist brace to prevent the spine from slipping out of stability.