Endoscopic surgical treatment for symptomatic spinal metastases in long-term cancer survivors

Background: To evaluate the feasibility of awake transforaminal endoscopic surgery in the management of symptomatic spinal metastases.

Methods: Transforaminal endoscopic spine procedures were performed by 1 surgeon in 325 patients over a period of 4 years from 2014 to 2018. Four of these patients suffered from radicular pain secondary to nerve compression from metastatic spine disease and are the basis of our analysis. Data was evaluated retrospectively in these patients with a minimum follow up of 1 year.

Results: All 4 patients treated with transforaminal endoscopic spine surgery for decompression of their metastatic spine disease had successful resolution of their symptoms without any perioperative complications and only brief recovery periods required.

Conclusions: Awake endoscopic surgery for the treatment of symptomatic metastatic spine disease is an effective outpatient surgical option for the treatment of patients suffering from radicular pain due to nerve compression from metastatic spine disease.