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The Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery 1999 December;40(6):897-9

Copyright © 2000 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Combined approach to intrathoracic lesions invading the spinal cord

Janni A., Davini F., Lucchi M., Consoli V.*, Angeletti C. A.

From the Service of Thoracic Surgery Department of Surgery *I Orthopedic Clinic, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

The treat­ment of intra­tho­rac­ic ­lesions invad­ing the ­spine has two ­main ­issues: the sur­gi­cal ­route to be pre­ferred and the inci­dence of com­pli­ca­tions fol­low­ing the oper­a­tion. As a mat­ter of ­fact sur­gi­cal treat­ment, per­formed in two stag­es, has a high­er ­risk of ­cord acci­dents. Some ­authors ­have pro­posed a com­bined tho­ra­co-ver­te­bral sur­gi­cal ­route ­which ­allows the expo­si­tion of ­both the ­spine and the ­chest. We expe­ri­enced the util­ity of ­such a sur­gi­cal ­approach in the treat­ment of two endo­tho­rac­ic ­lesions invad­ing the tho­rac­ic ­spine and requir­ing the sta­bil­iza­tion of the ­rachis. Satisfactory ­results ­were ­achieved with­out mor­bil­ity.