SPINAL TUMOR BREAKTHROUGH
A neurosurgeon has developed a technique to remove big tumors, buried deep within the spine --- the kind often considered inoperable.
 |
Transcript of the story
|
|
Healthy For Life Extra
extra information about the story |
|
For More Information
where to go for help |
By all accounts, Stacy Hall shouldn't be here today -- never mind working out at the gym. She had spinal tumors, and they were taking a serious and painful toll.
Stacy Hall
Spine tumor patient
"It felt like a really, really bad sunburn that someone had taken sandpaper to."
And it was getting worse.
Stacy Hall
"My legs were starting to collapse under me."
Most surgeons won't touch the type of tumors Stacy had because the surgery can cause as much harm as the tumor.
Christopher Ames, MD
Neurosurgeon
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
"Paralysis, permanent weakness, permanent loss of function, an arm or a leg."
But Doctor Christopher Ames has developed a technique to remove the spinal tumors.
He drills away lots of bone, so he can get to the tumor without moving the spinal cord or nerves and risking damage.
Then, Doctor Ames rebuilds the spine with artificial material and special screws.
Christopher Ames, MD
"We developed this screw that actually goes all the way through and crosses the mid-line and comes out the other side."
Stacy Hall
"There was no pain. That was the first thing I noticed when I woke up."
Christopher Ames, MD
"It really is a great feeling, particularly to see them post-operatively and be able to tell them that their tumor is completely gone."
As was the case for stacy. She didn't find out just how lucky she was until after her recovery.
Stacy Hall
"If I didn't have it, I wouldn't be here now."
Today, Stacy has a bit of a stiff neck, but she says it's a small price to pay to be able to spend time with her family.
Stacy Hall
"It's definitely worth it to be here."
Doctor Ames has performed this operation more than 15 times. So, far they've all been successes. Right now, he is the only surgeon in the country doing it. Now, his dream is for other surgeons to use the technique. The procedure can be used for tumors that are cancerous and those that are benign.
BACKGROUND: When tumors grow in the bone of the spinal column, there are not many surgical treatments that can remove them without causing serious damage to the spinal cord. As the tumors grow, they press up against the spinal cord. This pressure can cause a variety of symptoms like excruciating pain and numbness and tingling in extremities. If left untreated, patients can become paralyzed. Because of the proximity to sensitive anatomy including the spinal cord, pharynx, nerves, and major blood vessels, surgeons often refuse to operate for fear of causing irreversible nerve damage, paralysis and even death. As a result, patients with these kinds of tumors are often left without hope.
A NEW APPROACH: Christopher Ames, M.D., is co-director of the University of California, San Francisco Spine Center. He focuses on complex spinal reconstructive surgery for tumor removal. Dr. Ames developed the transpedicular approach to previously unresectable cervical and cervical thoracic tumors. This new method allows him to complete remove spinal tumors without any spinal cord manipulation. Called a lateral paramedian transpedicular approach, the technique uses advances in spinal instrumentation and reconstructive strategies to provide a direct approach to the removal of cervical spinal tumors with minimal, or no, neural manipulation.
THE PROCEDURE: For this surgery, Dr. Ames first removes and then reconstructs portions of the cervical spine so he can get to the tumors. Once the bone is removed, he has a direct line of sight to the tumor. He's able to completely remove it without moving or manipulating the spinal cord. After the tumor is removed, surgeons immediately rebuild the spine with artificial pedicle screws, a reconstruction technique also developed by Dr. Ames. The patient is kept in a cervical collar for at least three months after the surgery. The technique is particularly useful in cases in which the tumor is located in the middle of the spinal canal and attached to the lining of the spine. These types of tumors include meningiomas, neurofibromas and exophytic astrocytomas. The University of California, San Francisco is currently the only medical institution in the United States where patients can undergo this surgery.
RISKS: The major risks of this technique include injury to the vertebral artery from mobilization and retraction as well as to the spinal cord and cervical nerve root from extensive dissection, manipulation, and retraction. Dr. Ames published a description of the procedure in the October 2005 issue of Neurosurgery. Surgeons at the University of California San, Francisco have performed the procedure on more than 15 patients with no serious complications.
Vanessa deGier
Public Information Representative
University of California, San Francisco
3333 California Street
Suite 103, Box 0462
San Francisco, CA 94143-0462
(415) 476-2557
vdegier@pubaff.ucsf.edu
Copyright © 2006 Ivanhoe Broadcast News, Inc.
|
|
|
|
REVERSING SCLERODERMA
A risky treatment could be the answer for patients with serious forms of this disease. 
COLONOSCOPY-NOT JUST FOR COLON CANCER
A virtual colonoscopy detects a wide range of diseases outside the colon, which could save lives. June is national Scleroderma Awareness Month!
CLEARER MRI
A new invention helps doctors get clearer images of people who can't lie still.
HELP FOR BLOOD PRESSURE
An investigational device could help patients with this condition stay healthier.
SEEING THE HEART IN 3D
Researchers in the Netherlands are using virtual reality to see the heart like never before.
PANCREATIC CANCER VACCINE
A vaccine increases survival for patients with this deadly form of cancer.
NEW HELP FOR ALCOHOLICS
People who suffer from addiction may have a new option in the form of a pill.
TREATING URINARY INCONTINENCE
A sling helps women with this common problem find relief.
ROBOT REHAB FOR STROKE
A new robot is helping stroke patients recover without a therapist.
STEM CELLS HEAL HEARTS
Donor stem cells may be the answer for patients who suffer a heart attack.
BREATHING WITH EMPHYSEMA
A new, nonsurgical procedure could help patients breathe more easily.
DOPPLER PREDICTS STROKE
The same technology used to forecast a storm is helping doctors understand strokes and migraines.
BETTER BYPASS SURGERY
Cutting-edge technology allows doctors to fix a coronary bypass operation while the patient is still in surgery.
BETTER KIDNEY TRANSPLANT TREATMENT
A new treatment could reduce the risk of rejection within six months of a transplant.
WRAPPING RADIATION AROUND TUMORS
New technology allows doctors to target tumors with better precision.
CUTTING-EDGE SURGERY EDUCATION
Huge monitors and microscopic cameras are making it easier for surgeons to teach residents complicated procedures.
LUNG CANCER VACCINE
A vaccine under study offers hope for some patients who are diagnosed with this deadly cancer.
EASIER COLON CANCER TEST
A blood test may be the future in screening for colon cancer.
STEM CELLS FIGHT LUPUS
Using a patient's own stem cells could provide a cure for this devastating disease.
NEW SINUS RELIEF WITH A BALLOON
A new technique pushes sinus blockages out of the way and results in less pain.
HUNTINGTON'S HELP
A drug already approved in Europe and Canada could offer hope to patients who are plagued by this disease.
INHALED CHEMO
A new twist on standard chemotherapy offers less side effects and better precision.
STRENGTHENING BRITTLE BONES
A drug to treat osteoporosis is helping patients with a disease that weakens their bones.
BIRD FLU: BE PREPARED
Find out what you can do to prepare for the flu that experts think will hit the states in the coming months.
|
Send email to news@wchstv.com for information or comments concerning WCHS-TV Eyewitness News.
