Endoscopically-controlled surgery with open hemi-laminectomy for the treatment of intradural extramedullary tumors: An operative technique and short-term outcomes of 20 consecutive cases

Background: To present a surgical technique for the treatment of intradural extramedullary (IDEM) tumors by using endoscopically-controlled surgery with open hemi-laminectomy technique. Methods: : In this study, 20 patients with 22 IDEM tumors were enrolled. An endoscopically-controlled surgery with open hemi-laminectomy was employed to remove the tumors. Data related to clinical symptoms and medical images before and after surgery were collected for perioperative evaluation and follow-up analysis. Results: : All the tumors in 20 patients were well removed. The clinical symptoms were significantly reduced in all the patients as well. The short term follow-up data showed that there was no tumor recurrence or spinal deformity. Conclusion: The endoscopically-controlled surgery with open hemi-laminectomy technique provided favorable exposure and satisfactory resection to the IDEM tumors. It may be an effective surgical method for treating IDEM tumors. Larger samples and longer follow-up data are needed to verify its long-term effectiveness.