Best Spine Tumor Surgery Cost In India

How much does spine tumor surgery cost in India?

Many potential patients for surgery are a concern to know about Spine Tumor Surgery cost In India? The estimated cost of Spine Tumor Surgery In India usually starts $4500 however, it may go up to as much as $8000. it depends on the hospital charges and the fee charged by the surgeon. This price usually does not cover the post-operational cost of Radiation and Chemotherapy. Additional costs also involve the diagnostics before the surgery and pre-operational consultations.

[Verified by:- Dr Sandeep Vaishya, Director , MBBS, MS, MCh, Fellowship 20 Years of Experience Gurgaon, India.

What is Spine Tumor?

Spine Tumor is an abnormal growth of cells in the spine. These cells grow and multiply uncontrollably, seemingly unchecked by the mechanisms that control normal cells. this is called a primary tumour. If abnormal cells have spread to the spine from a tumour in another part of the body, this is called a secondary tumour or a metastasis (‘secondaries’ or metastases when talking about more than one)

Types of Spine Tumors

A spine tumor is classified on the basis of its location (inside or outside the dura matter and inside or outside the medulla) in the spinal cord. Different kinds of spine tumors have different characteristics and they need different treatment modality.

The following are the three types of spine tumors:

Extradural spine tumor: Tumors in the spine located outside the dura matter are known as extradural tumors. These tumors usually arise in the vertebrae (also called as vertebral column tumor). These often grow as metastatic tumor but some tumors may originate from the spine. The most common extradural tumors that originate as metastatic tumors include the ones that spread from the breasts, prostate gland, and lungs.

Intradural-extramedullary spine tumor: Tumors that grow inside the dura but outside the medullar region are known as intradural-extramedullary tumors. These are more likely to be found as meningiomas or nerve sheath tumors. These tumors are mostly benign. Meningiomas arise from the dura matter while schwannomas and neurofibromas originate from the nerve roots that leave the spinal cord.

Intramedullary Spine tumor: Tumors that originate in the medullary region are known as intramedullary tumors. Ependymomas, hemangioblastomas, and astrocytomas affect the spine as an intramedullary tumor. In most of the cases, these tumors arise from the glia within the spinal cord. Intramedullary tumors are often benign in nature and are more commonly found in the cervical spinal cord.
The spinal tumors can also be classified on the basis of the region of the spine in which they develop. The basic areas where spinal tumors are found include: cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacrum.

What are the symptoms of a spinal tumor?

The symptoms of a spine tumor depend on factors such as the size of the spine tumor, its exact location within the spine and which section of the spine is affected.

People might not experience all of the main symptoms of a spine tumor but they are likely to experience more than one of them.

Abnormal gait
Loss of sense of position in space
Numbness
Weakness
Tingling
Difficulty walking in the dark
General mid-back pain
Pain at night
Loss of bowel or bladder function
Paralysis to varying degrees

Testing for Spine Tumor treatment in India

A thorough medical examination with emphasis on back pain and neurological deficits is the first step to diagnosing a spine tumor. Radiological tests are required for an accurate and positive diagnosis.
Here is the list of tests for Spine tumor surgery

Blood Tests
X-Ray
CT Scan
MRI scan
Bone Scan
Biopsy
Pet CT Scan

Possible treatments Spine Tumor

The nonsurgical options for treating spinal tumors include observation, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Some tumors that are not causing major symptoms and do not appear to be aggressive in their behavior may be observed and followed with serial imaging (usually MRI). Additionally,

some tumor types are sensitive to chemotherapy and/ or radiation therapy. For these tumor types, a course of chemo- or radiation therapy may be the first line of treatment.

Surgery for a spine tumor is generally indicated for progressive motor weakness or loss of bowel or bladder control of short duration. In addition, surgery may be required in situations where the spine has become unstable because of the tumor. Surgery may be the only available intervention for some tumors that are insensitive to radiation, radiosurgery or chemotherapy.

Non- Surgical treatment

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is often used to treat malignant tumors and tumors that can’t be reached safely with surgery. It might also be used after surgery to try to treat any tumor cells that couldn’t be removed. If you have had surgery, you will be given time to recover and for your wounds to heal before receiving radiotherapy treatment.

Radiotherapy uses X-rays and gamma rays to damage or destroy the spine tumor. The treatment slows down spine tumor growth and lengthens the time before it regrows. In some circumstances, radiotherapy can destroy the tumor completely.

Radiotherapy treatment is planned and carried out by a radiotherapist who might also work with an oncologist (a doctor who specialises in cancer). It is likely that your radiotherapist will have a specific interest in tumors of the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). They will explain and discuss the radiotherapy treatment with you and talk through any worries or concerns you might have.

Radiotherapy will not always be available at the same hospital where neurosurgery is carried out but there is always a close link between the hospitals providing your treatment.

Side effects of radiotherapy include temporary worsening of the existing symptoms and inflammation of the skin, similar to sunburn.

Most people feel tired towards the end of their course of radiotherapy. Other side effects can include bone fractures and bone marrow suppression (radiotherapy can slow down the cells in the bone marrow that produce new blood cells).

Radiosurgery for Spine Tumor

Similarly to radiotherapy, radiosurgery might be used as a treatment when surgery is not possible or as an additional treatment after surgery. Despite its name, the treatment is not a surgical procedure and does not involve any incisions (cuts). It works by targeting a high dose of radiation at the Spine tumor in order to damage and destroy the tumor cells. The treatment is delivered by a machine called a linear accelerator (LINAC) or gamma knife.
The LINAC machine uses one beam of radiation which arcs around a single point, treating that specific area but not affecting the surrounding tissue. The gamma knife uses hundreds of relatively weak energy beams all aimed at the tumor from different angles. The tumor receives the full dose of radiation where all the beams meet but the surrounding healthy tissue is not damaged.
Unlike radiotherapy, which might require several sessions over weeks and months, radiosurgery is completed in one to five sessions and does not require an overnight stay in hospital. People can return to their normal routine immediately after the treatment without experiencing any of the side effects of surgery or radiotherapy.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to destroy tumor cells. There are different types of chemotherapy. Some chemotherapy drugs are taken by mouth and others are given via a drip into a vein. Chemotherapy is mostly used for people with secondary (metastatic) spinal tumor.
A course of chemotherapy is generally prescribed by an oncologist (a cancer specialist) who has expertise in chemotherapy. A course of chemotherapy is made up of a number of ‘cycles’. A cycle refers to a treatment session and the break that separates it from the next treatment session. The length of your course of chemotherapy (the number of cycles) will be designed specifically for you based upon the type of spine tumor you have.
The possible side effects of chemotherapy vary considerably depending on the particular drug used. They include nausea (feeling sick), vomiting (being sick), tiredness, hair loss and a reduced resistance to infection. You should discuss these possible side effects with the specialist providing your treatment.

Other drugs :

Spine Tumor surgery and radiation therapy as well as tumors themselves can cause inflammation inside the spinal cord, doctors sometimes prescribe corticosteroids to reduce the swelling, either following surgery or during radiation treatments. Although corticosteroids reduce inflammation, they are usually used for short periods only to avoid such serious side effects as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, diabetes and an increased susceptibility to infection.

During Spine Tumor Surgery

Spine tumor surgery performed under general anaesthesia.
The Spine Tumor surgery may be done through different techniques. It can be performed as an open procedure or as minimally invasive spine surgery, depending on the best possible for the patient and expertise of the surgeon.
An incision is made in skin and tissues are gently moved aside to create a path to the spine.
Minimally invasive spine surgery is an approach that minimizes the damage to the tissue surrounding the area of the operation in order to facilitate a faster recovery.
Insertion of a catheter to the site of the tumor to deliver embolic agent blocking the vessels supplying the tumor, thus controlling bleeding.
The posterior approach allows the identification of the dura and exposure of the nerve roots. The anterior approach is performed for tumors in the front of the spine.
After the Spine Tumor Surgery, the incisions are sewn together with sutures or staples to be removed 10-14 days after the procedure.

What Can I Expect After Spine Tumor Surgery?

The typical hospital stay after surgery to remove a spinal tumor ranges from approximately 5-10 days. A period of physical rehabilitation is required after surgery to remove a spine tumor. This may require a stay in a rehabilitation center for a period of time to work with physical and occupational therapists as well as doctors who specialize in physical recovery following major operations. Physical therapy may also take place as an outpatient or in home.

Risks and Complications

Spine tumor Surgery of any type has the potential for complications, and spine surgery is no different. If you have a scheduled spine tumor surgery, one of your first questions is likely about the risks of your procedure.

While your surgeon will explain the possible risks of your specific back or neck treatment,

anesthesia,
bleeding,
blood clots,
dural tear,
infection,
lung problems,
persistent pain.

Recovery after Spine Tumor Surgery?

The total recovery time after surgery often depends on the complexity of the surgery. The healing process continues for several months after surgery and may last up to a year or more.

Your Surgeon will follow you for a period of time to detect any evidence of recurrence of your tumor. This is usually done with periodic MRI scans. The likelihood of your tumor recurring depends of the type and whether it has spread from elsewhere in the body (metastatic).

Frequently asked questions spine tumor surgery

Q. What are the success rate of spine tumor surgery in India?
A. Depending on cancer tissue type, the success rate of the surgery is 98%. also depends on surgeon experience.

Q. What is the long-term outcome for patients with spinal cord tumors?
A. The long term outcome of spinal tumor is good to excellent.

Q. How common are spine tumor?
A. Spine tumor are not common. Secondary (metastatic) spine tumor are more common than primary spine tumor. The spine is the third most common site for secondary spine tumor, after the lungs and the liver. Some studies have estimated that up to 70% of patients with cancer that has spread will have secondary spine tumor in their spine.

Q. How long does spine tumor removal surgery take?
A. The Spine tumor surgery itself can take from one hour to 10, depending on the complexity of the tumor and any surrounding tissues it may have grown into. Your neurosurgeon can give you a more accurate estimate of how long your surgery is expected to last.

Q. What percentage of spine tumors are cancerous?
A. Estimates indicate that at least 30% and as high as 70% of patients with cancer will experience spread of cancer to their spine. The most common primary spine tumor (originated in the bony spine) is vertebral hemangiomas. These are benign lesions and rarely cause symptoms such as pain.

Q. How serious is Spine tumor?
A. Spine tumor or growths of any kind can lead to pain, neurological problems and sometimes paralysis. A spinal tumor can be life-threatening and cause permanent disability. Treatment for a spinal tumor may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or other medications

Q. Are brain tumors and spinal tumors related?
A. Spinal cord tumors are similar to brain tumors. Both of them arise from the central nervous system and both of them have similar types of tumors.