Thoracic Corpectomy and Fusion Surgery

Thoracic corpectomy and fusion is a spinal decompression procedure in which material that is pressing on the spinal cord and/or spinal nerves is removed from an area in the mid to lower back and two or more vertebrae are fused together with a bone graft and instrumentation to stabilize the spine as it heals. In this operation, the surgeon approaches the spine via an incision in the side of the abdomen rather than from the back. This provides the surgeon with greater access to the area where disk material needs to be removed without the need to retract the spinal cord. A patient may require thoracic corpectomy and fusion surgery due to a herniated disk, bone spurs, or a spinal fracture, tumor or infection that is causing severe pain and impaired neurological function.