Spinal Cord Tumour Surgery

Spinal cord tumour surgery removes a growth from inside the spinal canal. Most are benign tumours lying next to the cord within its coverings, such as meningiomas and schwannomas. A smaller group, including ependymomas and astrocytomas, grow within the cord itself.

Removing the tumour relieves pressure on the cord and nerves, stops further loss of function and provides a firm diagnosis. Recovery of lost function depends on how severe and how long-standing the deficit was before surgery, and infiltrating tumours inside the cord often cannot be removed completely.

What Spinal Cord Tumour Surgery involves

You lie face down under general anaesthesia with electrodes placed to monitor motor and sensory pathways throughout. Through a midline incision the surgeon removes or hinges open the bony arches over the tumour (laminectomy or laminoplasty). The dura is opened under the microscope. Tumours beside the cord are detached from their origin, debulked from within using an ultrasonic aspirator and peeled away from the cord. For tumours within the cord, the surgeon opens the cord in the midline and follows the plane between tumour and healthy tissue; if monitoring signals fall, removal is paused or stopped. The dura is closed watertight and, if much bone was removed, screws and rods may be added for stability.

Who is a good candidate for Spinal Cord Tumour Surgery?

Surgery is advised for most tumours that cause symptoms or are growing, after MRI of the whole spine.

• Meningioma, schwannoma or neurofibroma causing pain, weakness, numbness or walking difficulty
• Ependymoma or haemangioblastoma within the cord, which usually have a clear plane and can be removed completely
• A growing tumour on serial MRI, even with mild symptoms
• Uncertain diagnosis where tissue is needed to guide treatment

It is usually not the right choice if:

• Small, symptom-free tumours found by chance, which can be watched with repeat MRI
• Widespread metastatic cancer with a short outlook, where radiotherapy may be kinder
• Spinal metastases in the bone rather than the canal, which follow a different pathway
• People whose general health makes a long operation face down unsafe

Technique options

• Microsurgical resection with neuromonitoring: The standard for all tumours in or beside the cord.
• Hemilaminectomy or tubular minimally invasive approach: For small tumours lying to one side, preserving more bone and muscle.
• Laminoplasty: The bone is replaced after tumour removal, favoured in children and in the neck to lower the risk of later deformity.
• Stereotactic radiosurgery or radiotherapy: For residual, recurrent or inoperable tumours, and after subtotal removal of malignant types.

What happens during your treatment

Surgery lasts 3 to 6 hours under general anaesthesia. You usually spend the first night in a high-dependency unit with frequent checks of leg strength and sensation. You may be kept flat for 24 to 48 hours to protect the dural repair. Wound pain is controlled with a pump or tablets, and walking with a physiotherapist starts on day 1 to 3.

Preparing for your trip

Plan for 2 to 3 weeks in Istanbul. Your surgeon reviews photographs and your medical history before you book, and you meet in person the day before surgery for examination, marking and consent with a professional interpreter.

• Stop smoking and nicotine at least four weeks before and after surgery; it is the single biggest avoidable cause of wound problems
• Tell the team about every medicine and supplement you take; blood thinners, some herbal products and hormone treatment may need to be paused on your doctor's advice
• Arrange for someone to travel with you or to be reachable, and keep the first days at home free of work and lifting
• Book a changeable return flight; your surgeon confirms when you are fit to fly

Recovery and results

Hospital stay is typically 4 to 7 nights. Numbness or altered position sense in the legs is common early on after tumours within the cord and often improves over months. Desk work may be possible at 4 to 6 weeks; heavier work takes 3 months. Some people need a period of inpatient rehabilitation. MRI is repeated at about 3 months and then yearly for several years.

• Back to everyday activity: 6 to 12 weeks
• When results show: Pain often eases early; nerve recovery takes 6 to 12 months
• How long they last: Permanent if fully removed; long-term MRI follow-up needed

Safety, risks and revision policy

The spinal cord tolerates handling poorly, so the risks are more serious than in ordinary spinal surgery and vary with tumour type.

• New or worse weakness, numbness or loss of position sense, temporary in many and permanent in a minority
• Bladder, bowel or sexual dysfunction
• Spinal fluid leak or pseudomeningocele needing a lumbar drain or re-operation
• Wound infection or meningitis
• Spinal instability or kyphosis later, especially in the neck and in children
• Incomplete removal or recurrence requiring further surgery or radiotherapy
• Blood clots in the legs or lungs during reduced mobility

Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.

Cost of Spinal Cord Tumour Surgery in Türkiye

Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Spinal Cord Tumour Surgery, because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:

• Tumour position (beside or within the cord) and operating time
• Intra-operative neuromonitoring team
• Need for spinal fixation implants
• Intensive care and ward nights
• Rehabilitation after discharge and pathology including molecular tests

Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.

Frequently Asked Questions