Spinal Tumor Resection
What is Spinal Tumor Resection?
Spinal tumor resection is a surgical procedure to remove tumors located in or around the spinal cord or vertebral column, aiming to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerves, prevent neurological deterioration, and potentially cure the condition. These tumors can be benign or malignant and may originate in the spine or metastasize from elsewhere. In India, spinal tumor resection is performed in neurosurgery or orthopedic spine surgery departments at hospitals like Apollo, Fortis, Medanta, and AIIMS, offering advanced care at affordable costs. Understanding the procedure, costs, recovery, risks, and frequently asked questions (FAQs) is essential for patients and families in India to make informed decisions.
Why do you need Spinal Tumor Resection?
Spinal tumor resection is indicated for:
- Primary spinal tumors:
- Benign: Meningiomas (most common intradural-extramedullary), schwannomas, neurofibromas, ependymomas, osteoid osteomas.
- Malignant: Chordomas, chondrosarcomas, osteosarcomas.
- Metastatic tumors: Spread from cancers like breast, lung, prostate, or kidney (most common spinal tumors in adults).
- Symptomatic tumors:
- Pain: Localized back pain (often worse at night) or radicular pain (radiating to arms/legs).
- Neurological deficits: Weakness, numbness, or bowel/bladder dysfunction due to cord/nerve compression.
- Spinal instability: Vertebral destruction risking deformity or fracture.
- Tumor growth: Even if asymptomatic, to prevent progression (esp. malignant tumors).
- Biopsy confirmation: When tumor type is unclear, resection provides tissue for diagnosis.
The procedure aims for maximal safe resection—removing as much tumor as possible while preserving neurological function—and may be followed by adjuvant therapies (e.g., radiation, chemotherapy) for malignant tumors.
Why Do Spinal Tumor Resection Costs Vary in India?
Costs range from ₹2 lakh to ₹8 lakh:
- Procedure Complexity: Intradural tumor (₹2–5 lakh); with fusion or corpectomy (₹5–8 lakh).
- Hospital/Location: Higher in metro cities (Apollo, Fortis); lower in government hospitals (AIIMS, ₹50,000–₹2 lakh).
- Surgeon’s Expertise: Experienced neurosurgeons charge more.
- Additional Costs: Hardware (fusion rods/screws: ₹50,000–₹1.5 lakh), MRI/CT (₹5,000–₹15,000), ICU stay (₹10,000–₹50,000/day), adjuvant therapy.
- Insurance: Covered for symptomatic tumors or neurological deficits; Ayushman Bharat offers subsidies.
Spinal Tumor Resection Procedure
- Before Surgery Evaluation:
- Diagnosis:
- MRI: Primary imaging to assess tumor location (intradural, extradural, or intramedullary), size, and cord compression.
- CT scan: Evaluates bone involvement and spinal stability.
- Biopsy (if needed): For unclear diagnoses, often CT-guided.
- Blood tests: Assess fitness for surgery (e.g., coagulation, hemoglobin).
- Neurological exam: Evaluates deficits (e.g., weakness, sensory loss).
- Medications: Steroids (e.g., dexamethasone) reduce spinal cord swelling; pain relief (e.g., NSAIDs).
- Consent: Risks, including neurological deficits, are explained.
- Diagnosis:
- Surgical Techniques:
- Open Surgery:
- Performed under general anesthesia, lasting 3–6 hours.
- Posterior Approach (most common):
- A midline incision (5–15 cm) exposes the spine (lumbar, thoracic, or cervical).
- Laminectomy: Removal of the lamina to access the tumor.
- Tumor resection: Using microsurgical tools (e.g., ultrasonic aspirator, microscissors) to remove the tumor while preserving the spinal cord/nerves.
- Intradural-extramedullary (e.g., meningioma, schwannoma):
- Dura is opened, tumor dissected from the cord/nerves.
- Intramedullary (e.g., ependymoma):
- Tumor removed from within the spinal cord, requiring careful cord incision.
- Extradural (e.g., metastases):
- Tumor removed from vertebral bone; may require corpectomy (vertebral body removal).
- Anterior Approach:
- For cervical or thoracic tumors involving the vertebral body (e.g., metastases, chordomas).
- Incision in the neck (cervical) or chest (thoracic); corpectomy and reconstruction with a cage/graft.
- Stabilization (if needed):
- Spinal fusion with rods/screws if vertebral removal or instability occurs (e.g., after corpectomy).
- Minimally Invasive Surgery (select cases):
- Smaller incisions (2–3 cm), using tubular retractors and a microscope/endoscope; suitable for smaller, accessible tumors.
- Intraoperative Tools:
- Neuromonitoring: Tracks spinal cord/nerve function (e.g., motor evoked potentials).
- Microscope: Enhances precision.
- Fluoroscopy: Guides hardware placement (if fusion).
- Open Surgery:
- After Surgery:
- ICU monitoring for 1–3 days to watch for swelling, bleeding, or neurological decline.
- Hospital stay: 5–10 days; longer if fusion or complications.
- Pain management: IV analgesics (e.g., morphine) for 1–2 days, then oral (e.g., ibuprofen).
- Brace: Cervical collar or TLSO brace (thoracolumbar) for 4–8 weeks if fusion.
- Pathology report: Within 5–7 days, determines tumor type and guides adjuvant therapy (e.g., radiation for metastases).
- Physical therapy: Starts at 2–4 weeks for mobility and strength.
Recovery After Spinal Tumor Resection
- Hospital Stay: 5–10 days; longer (10–14 days) with fusion or complications.
- Post-Surgery Care:
- Pain: Incision pain for 1–2 weeks; nerve pain improves over weeks/months.
- Activity: Light walking on day 2–3; avoid bending, lifting (>5 kg), or twisting for 6–12 weeks.
- Brace: Worn for 4–8 weeks if fusion or instability.
- Physical therapy: Starts at 2–4 weeks; focuses on strength, mobility, and gait training.
- Neurological monitoring: For improvement in deficits (e.g., weakness, numbness); recovery varies by tumor type and extent of cord damage.
- Adjuvant therapy: Radiation/chemotherapy (malignant tumors) starts 4–6 weeks post-surgery.
- Diet: Normal diet; high-protein foods (e.g., eggs, lentils) support healing; 2–3 liters water daily.
- Follow-Up:
- Visits at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months; MRI/CT at 1–3 months, then every 6–12 months (malignant tumors).
- Oncology consultation for radiation/chemotherapy if needed.
Recovery varies: 6–12 weeks for benign tumors with full resection; months to years for malignant tumors. Symptom relief occurs in 70–90% of cases; survival depends on tumor type (e.g., metastases: 6–12 months median survival; meningiomas: 90–95% 5-year survival).
Risks and Complications
- Surgical Risks: Bleeding (2–5%), infection (2–5%), CSF leak (3–5% from dural tear).
- Neurological Complications:
- Worsening deficits (5–10%): Weakness, numbness, or bowel/bladder dysfunction, depending on tumor location.
- Spinal cord injury (1–3%): Risk higher with intramedullary tumors.
- Spinal Stability:
- Instability (2–5%): If extensive bone removal; may require fusion.
- Hardware failure (2–5%): If fusion performed (e.g., screw loosening).
- General Risks: Anesthesia reactions, blood clots (DVT, 1–2%).
- Long-Term:
- Tumor recurrence (10–20% for benign; 50–80% for malignant within 1–2 years).
- Chronic pain or adjacent segment degeneration (5–10%).
Report fever, severe pain, or neurological changes promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What causes spinal tumors?
Primary tumors: Often unknown; genetic factors (e.g., neurofibromatosis for schwannomas). Metastatic: Spread from cancers (e.g., lung, breast).
Can spinal tumors be treated without surgery?
Small, asymptomatic tumors may be monitored; symptomatic or growing tumors often require surgery. Radiation/chemotherapy may suffice for metastases in poor surgical candidates.
Will I lose spinal function?
Risk exists (5–10%); neuromonitoring minimizes damage, but deficits may persist if cord damage pre-exists.
How soon can I resume activities?
Light activities in 2–3 weeks, normal routines in 6–12 weeks.
Is spinal tumor resection covered by insurance in India?
Yes, for symptomatic tumors or neurological deficits; confirm with your provider.
Signs of complications?
Fever, severe pain, new numbness/weakness, or bowel/bladder issues.
Will the tumor come back?
Benign: 10–20% recurrence; malignant: 50–80%, depending on resection extent and adjuvant therapy.
Lifestyle changes post-surgery?
Avoid heavy lifting for 6–12 weeks, wear a brace if advised, continue physiotherapy, and follow up regularly (esp. for malignant tumors).
Conclusion
Spinal tumor resection is a critical procedure to relieve cord compression, stabilize the spine, and improve quality of life, with outcomes varying by tumor type. India’s top hospitals (Apollo, Fortis, AIIMS) offer affordable, expert care. Understanding the procedure, costs, recovery, risks, and FAQs helps patients approach surgery confidently. Consult a neurosurgeon for personalized guidance and optimal outcomes.
Looking for Best Hospitals for Spinal tumor resection
Note: we are not promoting any hospitals
we are not promoting any hospitals we sourced all the details from google and hospitals website, please verify and start with your surgery here we go the list includes government, budget and superspeciality hospitals accreditation bodies are the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) and the Joint Commission International (JCI)
- click on your city and schedule your surgery now done in good hands.
| City | Minimum Price (₹) | Maximum Price (₹) |
|---|---|---|
Agra |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Ahmedabad |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Ajmer |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Aligarh |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Allahabad |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Amritsar |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Aurangabad |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Bangalore |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Bareilly |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Belgaum |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Bhopal |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Bhubaneswar |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Bikaner |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Chandigarh |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Chennai |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Coimbatore |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Dehradun |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Delhi |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Dhanbad |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Durgapur |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Faridabad |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Ghaziabad |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Gorakhpur |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Guntur |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Gurgaon |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Guwahati |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Gwalior |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Hyderabad |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Indore |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Jabalpur |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Jaipur |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Jalandhar |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Jamshedpur |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Jodhpur |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Kanpur |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Kochi |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Kolkata |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Kollam |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Lucknow |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Ludhiana |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Madurai |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Mangalore |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Meerut |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Moradabad |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Mumbai |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Mysore |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Nagpur |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Nashik |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Navi Mumbai |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Noida |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Patna |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Pune |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Raipur |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Rajkot |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Ranchi |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Surat |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Thane |
3,50,000 |
8,00,000 |
Vadodara |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Varanasi |
3,00,000 |
7,00,000 |
Visakhapatnam |
3,25,000 |
7,50,000 |
Disclaimer
This information is sourced from open platforms and is for general awareness only. Costs may vary based on individual cases. Please consult a qualified doctor for medical advice and explore options within your budget before deciding on the procedure.