Spinal Astrocytoma — Surgical treatment of Astrocytoma in the Best Hospitals in the World
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Department of Spinal Surgery
The Department of Spinal Surgery at the Vivantes Auguste-Victoria Hospital all diseases of the spine - both conservatively and operatively. Patients with herniated intervertebral discs, displacement of vertebrae, stenosis of the spinal canal or back pain are treated here. In addition, specialists of the department have a unique experience in the field of complex reconstructive and revision surgeries, which are conducted to continue or correct the previous surgical treatment.
Department of Spinal Surgery
The Department of Spinal Surgery offers the full range of effective treatment methods in the area of its specialization. A highly qualified team of doctors is at the service of the department's patients, who have in their arsenal advanced conservative and surgical treatment methods for pathological changes in the spine. Spinal surgical procedures are performed in modern operating rooms, the technical equipment of which allows spinal surgeons to perfectly perform both major open surgery and sparing interventions: minimally invasive, endoscopic, and microsurgical. Surgical treatment is complemented by a carefully planned course of physiotherapy. This includes procedures such as therapeutic exercises, manual therapy, massage, osteopathic treatment, etc. The department's team of doctors consists of 10 highly qualified specialists who, together with experienced nursing staff, admit more than 1,300 inpatients annually. The medical facility is certified by the German Society for Spine Surgery (DWG) as a level II specialized center. The department's medical team makes every effort to provide each patient with optimal treatment in a pleasant and friendly atmosphere.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery offers the full range of accurate diagnostics and surgical treatment of diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. The department's surgeons annually perform over 5,000 surgical interventions, which indicates their high professionalism and tremendous experience. The key attention is paid to the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, diseases of the spine and spinal cord, brain and skull base tumors, peripheral nerve lesions, cerebrospinal fluid circulation disorders, as well as pain therapy (functional neurosurgery). The treatment of neurosurgical diseases in children and adolescents is carried out by a specially trained team of experts.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery offers the full range of surgical treatment of diseases of the brain, spine, spinal cord and nerves in adults and children. The department keeps pace with new trends in medicine, as well as contributes significantly to their development. Therefore, the most modern diagnostic and therapeutic methods are available here. An individual approach to each clinical case is crucial to ensure optimal treatment results with the preservation of all neurological functions.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery
According to the Focus magazine, the Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery ranks among the top German medical facilities specializing in the surgical treatment of brain tumors! The department offers the full range of diagnostics and surgical treatment of diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. A specially trained team of pediatric neurosurgeons provides treatment for various neurosurgical pathologies in children. During the treatment, the doctors use state-of-the-art equipment, in particular, imaging-guided neuronavigation, functional imaging (fMRI), intraoperative mapping, intraoperative videoangiography, etc.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery, Spinal Surgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery, Spinal Surgery offers modern diagnostics and effective treatment of the full range of diseases, injuries, inflammatory processes, tumors and malformations of the brain, spinal cord and their meninges, as well as spinal diseases. Spinal surgery is performed in collaboration with doctors from the Department of Adult and Pediatric Traumatology, Orthopedic Surgery. The department admits adults and children with malformations of the nervous system, brain and spinal cord tumors, drug-resistant epilepsy and other diseases. As one of the largest medical facilities of this kind in Germany, the department's doctors annually perform more than 2,500 surgical interventions on the brain and spinal cord, peripheral nerve endings. The department's specialists also perform over 400 spinal surgical procedures annually. To achieve high success rates of the surgical treatment, doctors use the very latest equipment, including neuronavigation systems. Thanks to this, surgeons not only successfully eliminate the pathology, but also guarantee the patient maximum safety. The department has 78 beds, including 14 beds in the Intensive Care Unit. The priority goal of the department's medical team is to provide high-quality treatment focused on the patient's needs.
Department of Neurosurgery and Spinal Surgery
The Department of Neurosurgery and Spinal Surgery provides top-class medical care for patients with diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems. The medical facility performs surgery of any complexity on the brain, spinal cord, spine, and peripheral nerves. The department is the largest healthcare facility of this kind in Germany and has a team of highly professional neurosurgeons with long clinical experience. The department's specialists focus on patients with brain tumors (gliomas, meningiomas, and brain metastases), neurovascular diseases (aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, and dural arteriovenous fistulas), and traumatic brain injuries. Spinal surgeons operate on patients with herniated discs, spinal canal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, spondylodiscitis, spinal fractures, and spinal tumors. The department extensively uses minimally invasive surgical techniques that allow for good therapeutic results with high safety in surgical manipulations. The medical facility has two hybrid operating rooms with state-of-the-art equipment, including the Zeego® intraoperative robotic angiography system and the intraoperative Brainsuite® MRI.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics is the center of maximum orthopedic care and offers the diagnostics and treatment of all diseases and injuries of the musculoskeletal system. Along with the full range of modern operative and conservative orthopedics, the department specializes in hip and knee replacement surgery using the minimally invasive methods, replacement/revision of prostheses, orthopaedic oncology, foot surgery and patella problems in the patella.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery, Foot Surgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery, Foot Surgery offers the full range of diagnostics, conservative and surgical treatment of musculoskeletal diseases and injuries. The department is a certified Endoprosthetics Center – more than 1,000 primary joint replacement surgeries are performed here annually. The surgeons of the Endoprosthetics Center also specialize in particularly complex clinical cases and revision procedures for the replacement of previously implanted artificial joints. In addition, the department has the status of the interregional Trauma Center certified in accordance with the standards of the German Trauma Society. The department has also been awarded a Certificate of Excellence from the German Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (DAF) in the field of foot surgery. A separate area of clinical activity is the treatment of diseases, injuries and congenital malformations of the musculoskeletal system in children. Depending on the severity of the clinical case, both conservative and surgical techniques are used in the treatment of orthopedic pathologies in children. The department's medical team prefers sparing low-traumatic surgery, while open operations are performed only if other therapeutic options are ineffective.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery offers the diagnostics and comprehensive treatment of neurosurgical pathologies, including tumors of the central and peripheral nervous system. The department is the leading Center of Neurosurgery in Northern Germany and is responsible for the implementation of new algorithms for the treatment of patients with brain tumors. To this end, there is an active participation in the international researches and the development of new surgical methods, for example, operations in the waking state. Close interdisciplinary cooperation also contributes to the achievement of optimal treatment results.
Department of General Orthopedics and Orthopedic Oncology
The Department of General Orthopedics and Orthopedic Oncology offers the full range of conservative and surgical treatment of all musculoskeletal diseases. The department ranks among the largest medical facilities of this kind in Germany, as well as among the specialized authoritative departments for the treatment of bone and soft tissue tumors in the European medical arena. The treatment is carried out both on an outpatient and inpatient basis, including the outpatient operations. In addition to its successful clinical activities, the department is proud of its productive research work, which has given birth to many innovations in orthopedics, for example, the department's specialists have patented the very latest prosthetic systems, particularly in the field of orthopedic oncology.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery offers the full range of modern services in this medical field. The high level of technical equipment in the department allows for the performance of all highly specialized surgical interventions to treat pathologies of the central and peripheral nervous system. The clinical practice mainly focuses on the diagnostics and surgical treatment of diseases, injuries of the brain, spine, spinal cord, intervertebral discs, nerve plexuses, functional neurosurgery and the treatment of neurosurgical pathologies in children.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery offers all modern surgical interventions for the treatment of pathologies of the nervous system. The clinical focuses include the treatment of oncological diseases of the nervous system (neuro-oncology), skull base surgery, vascular neurosurgery, spinal surgery and functional neurosurgery, including the surgical treatment of epilepsy. As a state-of-the-art medical facility, the department has the advanced systems for deep brain stimulation, multimodal neuronavigation devices, intraoperative neuronavigation using CT, ultrasound systems, fluorescence imaging devices and endoscopy equipment. Thus, the department has all the possibilities to ensure effective treatment according to the international standards.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery, Spinal Surgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery, Spinal Surgery offers the full range of services in these fields and specializes in the surgical treatment of diseases of the brain and spinal cord, peripheral nervous system and spine. The important areas of the department's clinical activity also include neuro-oncology, vascular neurosurgery and pediatric neurosurgery. The treatment is provided in four state-of-the-art operating rooms equipped with all the necessary facilities. The department admits about 2,700 inpatients and 4,100 outpatients annually. The team of the department's neurosurgeons is distinguished by high professionalism, and performs many operations using sparing minimally invasive surgical techniques. Navigation systems, intraoperative monitoring devices, 5-ALA fluorescence are successfully used during the surgical treatment. Each operation is carefully planned using advanced navigation devices (under the guidance of CT and MRI scanning). In general, the department's surgeons annually perform more than 4,000 neurosurgical interventions, and therefore they are justifiably proud of their unique clinical experience and treatment results.
Department of Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery and Foot Surgery
The Department of Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery and Foot Surgery provides a full range of modern diagnostics and conservative and surgical treatment of musculoskeletal diseases. The primary clinical interest of the department's team of doctors is the medical care of patients with diseases of large joints, spine, and foot, bone and soft tissue sarcomas, injuries of any severity, including multiple and geriatric. The department includes a specialized Maximum Care Joint Replacement Center (EndoCert and ClarCert certified), which successfully performs partial and total knee and hip arthroplasty. It should be noted that these operations are performed through a minimally invasive approach, which allows for postoperative restoration of mobility in the shortest possible time. The department also has a well-developed area of arthroscopic surgery of the knee, hip, and shoulder joints and offers modern methods of treatment of foot and ankle pathologies. The high quality of medical care is confirmed by numerous prestigious certificates, such as the certificate of the German Spine Society (DWG), the certificate of the German Foot and Ankle Society (DAF), the certificate of the German Society for Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery (DGOU), the certificate of the German Cancer Society (DKG), the certificate of the German Knee Society (DKG), the certificate of the German Trauma Society (DGU), and others.
Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery, Spinal Surgery
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Neurosurgery, Spinal Surgery offers the full range of diagnostic examinations and surgical treatment of diseases of the central and peripheral nervous systems. The team of the department's neurosurgeons successfully performs operations for pathologies of the brain and spinal cord, spine, neurovascular pathologies, pituitary diseases, and epilepsy. The doctors specialize in surgery for malignant brain tumors. The department is part of the Gliome Competence Center Network and the German Cancer Aid. The department uses the latest minimally invasive microsurgical techniques, navigation systems, intraoperative systems, and other advanced technical resources that allow for an optimal therapy result. The department has 84 beds for its patients, 10 of which are intended for intensive care. Medical care is based on an individual approach with due consideration of the patient's specific clinical data and needs. The specialists working at the medical facility always devote enough time to personal communication with their patients and do everything possible so that they receive effective treatment and maintain a decent quality of life.
Spinal astrocytomas are intramedullary tumors classified as a subtype of gliomas. These are usually low-grade neoplasms, but they may be malignant. The results of treatment depend primarily on the histological type of the tumor as well as on whether a surgeon has managed to remove the neoplasm completely. You can have your treatment abroad and expect good surgical outcomes. On the Booking Health website, you can select a hospital, compare the cost of treatment, and choose a medical care program at a favorable price.
Content
- Treatment principles for spinal astrocytomas
- Preoperative diagnostics for spinal astrocytomas
- How is spinal astrocytoma surgery performed?
- Results of spinal astrocytoma surgery
- Where to undergo your treatment for spinal astrocytomas?
Doctors remove the tumor, performing a total resection whenever possible. At the same time, surgeons strive to minimize damage to the spinal cord. Tumors rarely recur after their total resection, as most astrocytomas are benign.
You can seek medical attention from the Charite University Hospital Berlin, the Vivantes Auguste-Viktoria Hospital Berlin, or the Catholic Clinic Koblenz-Montabaur.
Our specialists will take care of organizing your trip abroad. We will select a hospital and book hotel and airline tickets for you. We will also meet you at the airport, take you to the hospital by car, provide support, and help resolve any issues during your stay abroad.
Treatment principles for spinal astrocytomas
Spinal astrocytic gliomas are very rare neoplasms, and there are currently no standard treatment methods for them. Basically, doctors begin treatment with surgery, and then carry out radiation therapy, sometimes supplementing it with chemotherapy.
Spinal tumors are 15 times less common than brain tumors. Moreover, only 20% of tumors are intramedullary, that is, they grow from the gray matter of the spinal cord. It is to such neoplasms that astrocytomas belong. Together with ependymomas, astrocytomas account for up to 90% of all brain gliomas and are the second most common among tumors of this type.
The results of treatment for spinal cord astrocytomas depend mainly on the tumor grade.
Low-grade tumors may be completely removed by doctors. In this case, a patient has a good chance of recovering completely from cancer.
High-grade tumors have a poor prognosis. They grow into the tissues of the spinal cord, do not have any clear boundaries, and usually cannot be completely removed. Doctors usually remove spinal astrocytomas partially to improve neurological status and then try to control the disease with radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Targeted therapy can also be used in developed countries.
Preoperative diagnostics for spinal astrocytomas
The main method of preoperative diagnostics for patients with spinal astrocytomas is an MRI. Doctors prefer a contrast-enhanced examination. An MRI scan allows the specialists to suggest the grade of the tumor and determine its boundaries. A CT scan of the spinal cord and neurophysiological studies can sometimes be used to plan the surgical treatment of the disease.
How is spinal astrocytoma surgery performed?
Surgical treatment for astrocytomas is aimed at removing the tumor. A neoplasm resection can be:
- complete (total);
- almost complete (subtotal);
- partial.
The more extensive the resection, the better the prognosis. Doctors, however, cannot always remove the tumor completely due to the threat of developing a neurological deficit. Total and subtotal spinal astrocytoma removal surgery is more often than not possible for patients with grade 1-2 neoplasms, while 3-4 grade tumors are usually removed partially.
The operation is performed under general anesthesia. Doctors perform a laminectomy, which means that they remove the vertebral arches to approach the spinal cord. A laminoplasty may be performed in younger patients with multilevel tumors. The arches will be removed and then placed in their original places.
When performing surgery, doctors try to detect the tumor and separate it from healthy tissue. This is easier to do in patients with low-grade spinal cord astrocytomas that have clear boundaries. High-grade tumors do not have any clear boundaries, so surgeons partially remove such neoplasms.
Doctors abroad use the following methods to perform a more total removal of the tumor, improve the safety of surgery, and prevent damage to important structures of the spinal cord:
- intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring;
- computed tomography;
- neuronavigation with advanced microscopy-based augmented reality capabilities.
The experience of the surgeon and the quality of the equipment largely determine the success of surgery. In countries with poor medicine, even a benign spinal astrocytoma can be completely removed in only 5% of cases, whereas the number of total resections at specialized centers abroad reaches 72%.
When the surgical procedure is completed, doctors have to ensure the stability of the spine. It is impaired due to the removal of the vertebral bone tissue. Doctors may immobilize adjacent vertebrae or implant dynamic stabilization systems to restore the stability of the spine. The second option is more preferable, as it preserves the mobility of the spine and prevents the development of the disease in adjacent spinal segments. This is especially important for patients with a high life expectancy after the complete removal of low-grade astrocytomas.
The operation is followed by an MRI scan to determine if the tumor has been completely removed. With the help of this diagnostic test, doctors can see the residual tumor tissue, if any, which helps to plan further treatment tactics.
Results of spinal astrocytoma surgery
The results of the surgical intervention depend on whether the tumor has been completely or partially removed, as well as on its grade. Over 40 years of age is regarded as a prognostically unfavorable factor.
The treatment results at medical centers abroad are usually good for patients with 1-2 grade tumors, as a 5-year survival rate of 93% is achieved. The treatment results for high-grade tumors are worse. The operation will help increase life expectancy by several years, but a patient will need additional treatment after the operation, and a complete cure of the disease should not be expected.
Immediately after the operation, the neurological status improves. Further neurological rehabilitation helps to restore mobility and sensitivity. Good rehabilitation potential can be maintained for several months. However, the more pronounced the neurological deficit is at the time of the operation and the longer it persists before the start of treatment, the less the spinal cord functions will be restored.
Low-grade astrocytomas rarely recur, so after their total removal, additional treatment methods are not required. If the tumor was not completely removed or if it was a high-grade neoplasm, then adjuvant treatments can be conducted using radiation therapy and systemic chemotherapy.
Where to undergo your treatment for spinal astrocytomas?
You can opt to undergo your spinal cord tumor treatment abroad. Physicians in developed countries successfully operate on children and adults with benign and malignant spinal astrocytomas. The world's best hospitals achieve excellent results, and most patients can fully recover.
Treatment at hospitals abroad has the following advantages:
- high-precision diagnostics before surgery allow ideal treatment planning;
- intraoperative diagnostics makes the removal process safer and more efficient;
- doctors at hospitals abroad mostly manage to completely remove the spinal astrocytoma;
- doctors do not damage important spinal cord structures, so they do not exacerbate neurological deficits;
- doctors restore the stability of the spine and use dynamic fixation systems to keep it moving;
- surgical treatment is followed by a full rehabilitation that ensures the restoration of mobility and sensitivity in the next few weeks.
Hospitals abroad have state-of-the-art equipment. They employ doctors who are considered among the best in the world. You are welcome to use the Booking Health service to undergo your treatment at a specialized center with vast experience in the removal of spinal cord tumors. On our website, you can find out the cost of treatment at different hospitals, compare prices, and choose a medical care program at the best price. The prices for you will be lower than when you contact the hospital directly. The cost will be reduced due to the lack of taxes for foreign patients.
The specialists from the Booking Health company will take care of all the arrangements for your trip abroad. We will help you prepare your documents and book hotel and airline tickets. We will also provide interpreting services, meet you at the airport abroad, and take you to the Neurosurgery Center by car.
Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board-certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk. 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!
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