Unilateral hemilaminectomy for the removal of the spinal space-occupying lesions.

In this study we have evaluated 40 patients with spinal lesions with respect to the value of unilateral hemilaminectomy. Our case study group included 29 intradural extramedullary, 6 intramedullary, and 5 extradural tumors. The thoracic spinal cord was involved in 17, the lumbar region in 13, and the cervical spinal cord in 10 cases. The mean age of the 20 males and 20 females was 35 (range 6-71). The rationale for choosing a unilateral approach is to preserve musculoligamentous attachments and bony posterior elements as much as possible. We did not observe any complication relating to unilateral hemilaminectomy. The patients were mobilized the following day after surgery or given rehabilitation therapy beginning on the second postoperative day without the use of any external support. At follow-up evaluation, a mean of 32 months postoperatively, none of the patients showed spinal deformity or spinal instability.