title: Herniated thoracic disks: treatment and outcome.
abstract: The optimal surgical approach for thoracic disk herniation is controversial, and long-term follow-up is poorly documented. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 31 patients who underwent surgery for herniated thoracic disks at our institution during a 17-year period (1975-1992). Two patients had multiple disk herniations; 16 of 33 herniated disks occurred at or below the T10-11 level. There were three surgical approaches to diskectomy: laminectomy in four patients, transpedicular surgery in 12, and costotransversectomy in 15. Weakness resolved postsurgery in nine of 18 patients. One patient transiently deteriorated neurologically after a laminectomy, three had wound infections, and two required second operations for their herniated disks. Postsurgery half the patients with symptoms continued to have pain or weakness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242-1061.
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Ridenour
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Hitchon
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piper
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Traynelis
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: VanGilder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004688:Encopresis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006987:Hypesthesia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D013124:Spinal Injuries / Q000150:complications; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001750:Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology