Lumbar Spine Tumor Removal
By Admin | October 05, 2023
Living with a lumbar spinal tumor means living with a relentless growth that applies unrelenting pressure on your spine. That life is often one marked by pain, difficulty walking, and even the loss of control over basic bodily functions like one’s bowels and bladder. This scenario became a stark reality for a 49-year-old female patient diagnosed with a tumor on her L2 vertebrae. The tumor was on her right side and left her battling consistent pain in her lower back, neck, arm, and leg. Each of those symptoms acted as a grim reminder of the adversary inside her body.
Lumbar spinal tumors are a formidable challenge. Due to their location, these tumors can exert immense pressure on the spine, leading to severe neurological deficits. As mentioned, patients often endure debilitating leg and back pain, struggle to walk, and may even lose control over bodily functions.
To alleviate or prevent these devastating symptoms, surgical removal of the tumor is a necessity. However, the key to performing this delicate procedure lies in ensuring as much of the tumor is removed as possible while also preserving the healthy parts of the spine. In this intricate ballet between surgical skill and technological aid, Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (IONM) can provide surgical teams with the data to make more informed decisions in the operating room.
IONM, in this context, played a pivotal role in guiding the surgeon's hand during the tumor removal. Sensory function is paramount, and to gauge it effectively, Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SSEPs) provided real-time data about the patient’s sensory responses, which ensured that her ability to perceive sensations remained intact.
Additionally, Electromyography (EMG) monitored muscle activity during the surgery. This tool ensured that our 49-year-old patient’s vital motor functions would be preserved. It's a delicate dance of maximizing tumor resection while minimizing the risk of postoperative motor deficits.
A particularly essential technique in this procedure was Triggered EMG (tEMG). This specialized tool helped distinguish healthy tissue from the tumor, allowing the surgeon to determine precisely what parts of the tumor could be safely resected. Due to the precision provided by tEMG, the surgeon could remove as much of a tumor as possible, without encroaching on the healthy spine.
At the conclusion of the surgery, SSEPs were well within acceptable limits of baseline, indicating the preservation of sensory function. EMG revealed no significant abnormal activity, with a reassuring TOF 4/4 response. tEMG, the star of the show, plays a crucial role in confirming the presence or absence of functioning nerves within the tumor's vicinity. Armed with this information, the surgical team can avoid these areas during resection, leaving the patient with minimal motor deficits.
The significance of this approach becomes clear when we consider the possible consequences without the aid of neurophysiology monitoring. Without the critical insights provided by tEMG, the surgeon might struggle to distinguish the tumor from the patient's healthy tissue. In such a scenario, the risk of inadvertently removing parts of the spine, leading to more severe deficits, becomes a haunting possibility.
IONM empowers surgeons to navigate the spine with confidence, ensuring that tumors like those in the lumbar spine can be surgically removed while preserving the patient's quality of life. At Axis Neuromonitoring, we remain unwavering in our commitment to high-quality intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM). For more information about the transformative benefits of neuromonitoring and its profound impact on surgical outcomes, please contact us at 888-344-2947.
