A spinal cord lipoma is a spinal malformation that is an adipose tissue tumor. The structure of this neoplasm is different from lipomas of other localizations. This tumor is slow-growing and may not cause any symptoms for many years. Doctors in Germany can safely remove a spinal cord lipoma under the control of neuromonitoring. The neoplasm is removed completely to avoid a recurrence in the future.
Content
- Treatment principles
- Surgical treatment
- Why is it worth undergoing your treatment abroad?
A lipoma can be removed with the use of surgical techniques. This is an effective and completely safe treatment method provided in clinics in Germany.
You can undergo your treatment in one of the following hospitals: Catholic Hospital Koblenz-Montabaur, Charite University Hospital Berlin, or Hospital Neuwerk Moenchengladbach.
Booking Health will fully organize your trip, from choosing a clinic and a doctor to translating medical records from the clinic after returning home. The company's specialists will help you to apply for a visa and come to the clinic, find a convenient hotel, communicate with doctors in any language, and provide medical insurance. You can contact your personal coordinator with any questions.
Treatment principles
A lipoma usually does not cause any severe symptoms, as it has a soft and elastic consistency and grows very slowly. In this regard, disputes among doctors do not subside: it is necessary to treat a lipoma immediately after its detection or wait for the onset of symptoms.
The following two approaches are common among physicians:
- the tumor is removed immediately to avoid an increase in its size;
- a patient is monitored and surgery is performed only when symptoms manifest themselves.
It is believed that a lipoma is a progressive disease, so surgery will be required sooner or later. Therefore, more often than not, the pathology is treated immediately after its detection. In this case, a less traumatic operation will be required. In addition, if you wait for the symptoms to manifest themselves, they may not completely regress after treatment.
If the lipoma does not currently cause any symptoms, the probability of their development within 10 years is 40%. For most people, symptoms manifest themselves later. Some patients never develop symptoms, but this is rare. Therefore, there are supporters of watchful waiting: the disease is not treated, but a patient is regularly examined to check whether the tumor size has increased and whether their neurological status has worsened. A surgical intervention is performed when signs of progression of the disease occur.
Surgical treatment
The main treatment method is a microsurgical removal of the tumor. This may be total or partial.
A partial resection is performed to eliminate symptoms. Nonetheless, doctors in Germany try to avoid this operation, preferring a total removal. The disease often recurs after tumor resection. The risk of symptoms within 10 years reaches 50%.
A total resection is the main treatment method. A doctor's task is to completely remove the tumor with the reconstruction of the spinal cord, dura mater, and muscular-fascial framework. Spinal cord lipoma treatment in Germany is reliable, ensures good function of the spinal cord and spinal column and minimal risk of disease recurrence even in the distant future.
Many methods and techniques for lipoma removal have been developed. Neurosurgeons in Germany use the following techniques:
- ultrasonic destruction-aspiration of the tumor;
- laser removal;
- excision with microsurgical scissors;
- biocoagulation dissection.
To increase the safety of the operation, German doctors use intraoperative control: neuromonitoring with the determination of motor evoked potentials, as well as one of the imaging methods, for example, intraoperative ultrasound or an MRI scan.
Why is it worth undergoing your treatment abroad?
Clinics in Germany have state-of-the-art equipment. German neurosurgeons are considered among the best in the world. They use the most advanced techniques for removing spinal cord tumors.
There are a few reasons for you to undergo your treatment at German hospitals:
- high-precision diagnostics will help to understand whether it is worth treating your lipoma immediately, or if a surgical intervention can be postponed, limited to watchful waiting;
- doctors perform total tumor removal rather than partial tumor removal because this approach reduces the risk of recurrence, whereas after a partial resection, half of the patients develop their symptoms again within 10 years;
- modern, safe, and almost bloodless lipoma removal techniques (ultrasound, laser, bipolar coagulation, etc.);
- intraoperative neuromonitoring allows the tumor to be removed without causing damage to the spinal cord;
- a risk of complications in the best Neurosurgery Centers does not exceed 1%, while in countries with poor medicine it reaches 30%;
- a full-fledged rehabilitation allows patients to fully recover after surgery without any consequences for their spine and without neurological disorders.
On the Booking Health website, you can find the cost of spinal cord lipoma treatment in Germany, compare prices in different hospitals, and make your treatment appointment at the best price. Our company's specialists will help you to decide on the choice of a clinic and organize your trip. When making your treatment appointment through Booking Health, the cost will be reduced due to the absence of additional taxes for foreign patients. The original price is guaranteed not to increase because you will receive insurance.
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk and Dr. Sergey Pashchenko. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
Sources:
National Library of Medicine
Verywell Health
The Lancet
