Thoracic spine tumor, complete resection

The thoracic spine is the narrowest part of the spine, and the thoracic spinal cord is also the most vulnerable part of the spinal cord, and tumors in the thoracic spinal canal have always been a problem for spine surgeons and neurosurgeons. 57-year-old Auntie Lin has been feeling paralysis in both legs for the past two years, and the numbness has been increasing, and she has been walking with less and less energy. After a simple examination in the clinic, I found that the pathological signs of both lower limbs of Auntie Lin were positive, and combined with the MRI results, I suggested her to be hospitalized. After admission, I checked the CT and found that the tumor was not only large, but also calcified and closely adhered to the surrounding tissues, so surgery would probably damage the spinal cord. However, considering the patient’s current symptoms are very heavy and both lower limbs are very numb and painful at night when sleeping, she strongly requested for surgery. This kind of intra-thoracic spinal canal tumor is best to be removed under microscope. After we asked the neurosurgeon to consult with us, we agreed that the surgery is very necessary, although there are risks. Firstly, we placed pedicle screws in the upper and lower vertebrae of the tumor and removed the vertebral plate, then magnified 10 times with a microscope and found that the tumor was gravelly and adhered to the spinal cord tissue. We peeled off the tumor little by little very carefully and finally succeeded in complete removal of the tumor and excised part of the normal spinal membrane from the tumor tip to prevent recurrence. Immediately after the surgery, the patient’s symptoms were relieved and her legs no longer felt numb and painful at night. A stone was finally dropped from the patient’s heart.