title: Blood transfusions after thoracoscopic anterior thoracolumbar vertebrectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Anterior vertebral body reconstruction (AVBR) for trauma or tumor involves corpectomy and placement of hardware to reconstitute the anterior weight-bearing stability of the spine. We report our clinical experience with thoracoscopic techniques for AVBR.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent thoracoscopic AVBR surgery for expandable cage placement. We report pathological condition, patient age, vertebral body level, operative time, estimated blood loss (EBL), and need for blood transfusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one expandable cages were placed thoracoscopically in 15 fractures and six tumors. In fracture cases, mean age, operative time, EBL, and transfusion rate were 36.7 years, 4.9 h, 543 mL, and 7% (1/15), respectively. In tumor cases, mean age, operative time, EBL, and transfusion rate were 61.9 years, 4.9 h, 758 mL, and 17% (1/6), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thoracoscopic AVBR with expandable cages can be accomplished safely with acceptable operative times and blood loss and low transfusion rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
authors.forename: Brian T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Ragel
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.forename: Meic H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011859:Radiography; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D014025:Titanium; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014025:Titanium