title: Hemilaminectomy for the removal of the spinal lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated 20 patients with spinal lesions with respect to the value of unilateral hemilaminectomy at the Department of Neurosurgery, Erciyes University, Medical Faculty, Kayseri, Turkey. The operative technique of the limited approach for spinal lesions is described.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study is based on 20 prospective consecutive patients with spinal lesions who had unilateral hemilaminectomy. There were 12 women and eight men. Age ranged from 17 to 63 years mean (42 years) with a slight preponderance of women patients (60%). Spinal lesions were cervical in three cases, lumbar in five cases, and thoracic in 12 cases. Hemilaminectomy was performed by using a high speed drill.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postoperative neurological status was unchanged in six cases, improved in 11 cases, and worsened in three cases. We only observed two cases of wound infections that were not related to our surgical approach. At the follow-up evaluation, which occurred approximately 25 months after surgery none of the patients showed spinal deformity or spinal instability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rationale of attempting unilateral approach is to avoid damage to the dorsal static structures of the vertebral column. With the precise preoperative definition of the relationship of tumor to the surface of the spinal cord by contrast enhanced MRI, unilateral approaches might be more applicable to spinal lesions except invasive extradural lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Erciyes, Medical School, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Oktem
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akdemir
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurtsoy
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Koç
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Menkü
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tucer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000379:methods*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009420:Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome