Modification of costotransversectomy to approach ventrally located intraspinal lesions. Preliminary report.

To minimize tissue trauma and to reduce pulmonary complications a modification of costotransversectomy is presented. This procedure has been carried out in 6 patients with ventrally located space occupying lesions in the spinal canal. The results are good, complications did not occur. We consider this technique to be less traumatic than conventional costotransversectomy while giving the same results. Whether the complication rate is lower has yet to be proved in a larger series.