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Thoracic Vertebrectomy, Abroad
Thoracic Vertebrectomy Cost Package:
{The surgery cost covers all medical & logistics costs at the destination}
International Destinations: India, Jordan, Mexico, South Korea, Turkey
Vertebrectomy refers to the surgical removal of the entire vertebra. When
a thoracic vertebra is affected due to a fracture, a malignant metastatic
tumor or infection ( especially Pott's spine), it progressively damages the
vertebra and may result in deformity, pain and neurological deficits, which
causes the loss of its functional capacity. In such cases the entire thoracic
vertebra is removed and replaced by a bone graft, which subsequently restores
the full strength and most of its functionality.

There are different techniques of conducting the surgical procedure which
include the conventional open surgical technique or laparoscopic technique.
In addition to the different techniques of conducting the procedure, the site
can be accessed either from a posterior approach or an anterior approach.
The modalities depend upon the patient's clinical condition, age, and other
parameters. It's a complex surgery requiring strong medical and surgical skills.
Several destinations provide this spine surgery at costs lower than those
in the United States. These include India, South Korea, Jordan, Turkey and
Mexico.
When is thoracic vertebrectomy needed?
Thoracic Vertebrectomy is required for various pathological conditions in
the thoracic vetebra:
- Primary or secondary tumors of the spine which involve the thoracic vertebra
- Trauma and injuries which result in total destruction of the vertebral
bone. In such cases the vertebral bone presses on to the underlying nerve
root and surgical removal is recommended to alleviate pain and compression
- Infections of the vertebral spine which cause significant degeneration
of the bone tissue, result in structural deformity of the shape of the spine
(i.e. kyphosis, scoliosis, lordosis, etc)
Thoracic vertebrectomy: The procedure
Surgical procedures on the upper portion of the back or thoracic region are
highly complex and require surgeons with special set of skills and techniques
to work their way around the heart, lungs and the large blood vessels. There
are different approaches to the surgery of the thoracic vertebra which include,
anterior (or transthoracic approach), posterior approach, or a combined approach.
The selection of the technique depends upon the patient's condition, the underlying
pathology and the level of emergency to execute the procedure. The procedure
is conducted under general anesthesia and the length of the procedure depends
upon the number of vertebrae involved and the extent of resection planned.
A brief insight into the various procedures is provided here,
- Anterior approach to thoracic vertebrectomy
- Anterior thoracic vertebrectomy uses minimal invasive surgical approach
or conventional open spinal approach (thoracotomy approach). In the minimal
invasive surgery approach, several small incisions are made in the intercostal
space, which depends upon the level of the spine involved. Several flexible,
narrow, workable portals are placed into the incisions made. In the open
surgical approach a single large incision is made to gain access to the
thoracic region.
- One of the lungs is deflated temporarily using an entotracheal tube
while the parietal pleura, vessels and rib heads attached to the involved
vertebra are dissected, to provide a clear view of the involved region.
- Subsequently, long dissection tools are used to perform decompression
and reconstruction surgery. Reconstruction is carried out through the
same approach, with the use of a titanium mesh cage filled with autologous
bone graft from resected ribs or the iliac crest. Later, posterior instrumentation
is required for stabilization of the spinal column at two levels above
and below the resected vertebra
- In cancer patients, in whom the ribs are involved, the ribs are dissected
along with some of the surrounding area
- The microsurgical technique has several benefits namely reduced post
operative pain, reduced rate of complication (due to reduced dissection
of soft tissue) and quicker return to physical activity (resulting in
shorter length of stay).
- Posterior approach to thoracic vertebrectomy
- The patient is placed in the lateral position. A posterolateral thoracotomy
incision is made first depending on the location of the concerned vertebra.
A second incision is made in the midline.
- Subsequently, the trapezius muscle is detached along with the latissimus
dorsi muscle along the course of the rib
- Once the access is gained, resection of the vertebra along with reconstruction
surgery is performed, depending on the requirement
Surgical Outcome of thoracic vertebrectomy
- Clinical studies have indicated that the various approaches had very similar
outcomes with regards to post operative pain relief, ambulatory ability
and other morbidities.
- Certain differences were observed however in terms of blood loss (which
was least in the anterior approach), incidence of wound infection and deep
vein thrombosis (higher in posterior approach), rate of complications like
pnemothorax and pleural effusion (lowest in posterior approach).
Preoperative preparation for thoracic vertebrectomy:
- The preoperative preparation for thoracic vertebrectomy essentially depends
on the underlying condition for which the procedure is being conducted.
- Various radiation imaging techniques like Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI), Radionucleide imaging are carried out to confirm
the location of the involved vertebra, the spinal pathology and the surgical
approach best suited for the thoracic vertebrectomy
- The surgical planning becomes essentially crucial in conditions involving
primary or metastatic tumors to assess the extent of the surgical resection
required
Postoperative care after thoracic vertebrectomy
- On an average the post operative patients require intensive care monitoring
for about 5 days after the procedure.
- The patients may require custom made braces for an average period of 30
days after the procedure. In case of delayed mobilization of critical patients,
braces may not be required
- Steroid therapy may be required for patients presenting with transient
post operative paresis, which will subsequently get resolved after the therapy
Thoracic vertebrectomy in South Korea:
Thoracic Vertebrectomy requires highly trained surgeons with specialized
skills, to conduct a successful procedure and enhance the health outcomes
for the patient. South Korea, with its rapidly emerging medical equipment
technology market, has been on the forefront of imaging technology for medical
services. Further, the country has doctors and medical professionals, who
have been trained abroad, with special skills to manage oncology patients.
Hence, even as seeking medical care and treatment in South Korea implies an
extremely long travel time, more and more international patients prefer the
destination thanks to its technological advantage.
Thoracic vertebrectomy in India:
India is the most preferred medical destination in the world, which provides
medical care at one-eight the cost compared to the United States. This implies,
that to seek care in a JCI accredited hospital in India, a US citizen will
spend only 15-20% which will include the travel fare, visa processing fees
and other miscellaneous expenses. The quality of care in India remains comparable
to that in the United States. This has given the Indian healthcare market
a great advantage in the sector of medical
tourism and has been attracting several international patients.
Thoracic vertebrectomy in Mexico:
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), Mexico has the 61st best healthcare
infrastructure in the World. This speaks volumes about the quality of medical
care, technology and skilled manpower, which is deployed in hospitals across
the country. Further, with several JCI accredited hospitals, Mexico has reiterated
its commitment to, providing good quality of medical care services to US citizens
seeking medical care abroad
Thoracic vertebrectomy in Turkey:
Turkey has several top quality medical, spa, wellness, and thermal facilities
and five-star hotel accommodations in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya and
other major cities, which has increased the inbound flow of medical tourists
from abroad. Some of the leading hospitals in turkey have JCI accreditation
and are affiliated to top tier US providers such as Harvard Medical School,
Johns Hopkins Medicine, etc. This has augmented international patient flow
in the recent years, with more and more US patients looking at Turkey as a
destination for medical tourism.
Thoracic vertebrectomy in Jordan:
According to Deloitte, by 2017 over 16 million Americans could be traveling
to other countries for treatment in search of better prices, better quality,
better access and better availability. This is due to the escalating cost
of medical care in the United States and available options of lower cost of
medical care abroad. As per the World Bank, Jordan is ranked fifth best hub
for medical tourism and the best in the West Asian Region. With superior quality
of care, cost of seeking medical care in Turkey ranges from 10% to 25% compared
to the costs in United States.
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Medical Tourism Corporation facilitates affordable Thoracic Vertebrectomy
Abroad at many international locations including Mexico, India & Spain.
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