Bone Tumour Surgery in Sharjah
Medically reviewed by Dar Al Kamal Team
What is bone and soft tissue tumour surgery?
Bone and soft tissue tumour surgery covers the operations used to diagnose and remove an abnormal growth in a bone, or in the soft tissues of the limbs and trunk such as muscle, fat, tendon sheath and fibrous tissue, and to rebuild the bone afterwards when needed.
Most tumours treated this way are benign. Common bone examples include an osteochondroma, a bony bump near a joint; an enchondroma, often in a finger bone; and a bone cyst that thins the bone in a child or teenager. Common soft-tissue examples include a deep lipoma lying within a muscle and a giant cell tumour of tendon sheath in the hand. A smaller group are cancers. Some start in the bone, such as osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma, which mainly affect children, teenagers and young adults. Soft-tissue sarcomas arise in muscle or connective tissue. In adults over forty, a new bone lesion is more often a cancer that has spread from elsewhere, or a blood cancer called myeloma.
At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, bone and soft tissue tumour surgery is performed by the orthopedic surgeons of the Orthopedics and Sports Medicine department, from the first X-ray and biopsy through removal, reconstruction and follow-up.
Who needs it
Bone and soft tissue tumour surgery is considered for:
- A bone lesion that causes pain, has grown, or has thinned the bone enough to risk a fracture
- A bone that has broken through a tumour or cyst after a minor knock
- A bony bump that rubs on tendons, nerves or blood vessels
- A soft-tissue lump that lies deep to the muscle layer, is larger than a golf ball, is growing or is painful
- A lesion whose nature is uncertain on imaging, where a biopsy is needed to confirm the diagnosis
Surgery is recommended when a lesion causes symptoms, threatens the strength of the bone, or needs a tissue diagnosis. For a suspected or confirmed cancer, the surgical plan is made together with a multidisciplinary oncology team of surgeons, oncologists, radiologists and pathologists, which decides the order of surgery and any other treatment such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The decision on your treatment is made with you.
What happens
Diagnosis comes first. An X-ray is the most informative first test for a bone lesion: the edges, the pattern inside and the reaction of the surrounding bone tell the surgeon a great deal, and many benign lesions can be recognised on X-ray alone. An MRI scan shows the extent of a lesion within the bone and the soft tissue around it, and a CT scan shows fine bony detail.
When a biopsy is needed, the surgeon plans its path with care. The biopsy track is placed along the line of any later operation, because for a possible cancer the track is removed together with the tumour. A needle biopsy, often guided by imaging, takes small cores of tissue, while an open biopsy takes a sample through a small incision. The pathologist's report guides the next step.
The main operation is performed under general anaesthesia or a regional anaesthetic. For a benign bone tumour or cyst, the surgeon may scrape out the lesion, a procedure called curettage, and fill the cavity with bone graft or a bone substitute, adding a plate or nail where the bone needs support. A bony bump such as an osteochondroma is removed at its base. A soft-tissue tumour is excised through an incision planned along the limb, taking the lump with a layer of healthy tissue around it. For a malignant tumour, surgery follows the multidisciplinary plan, with a wider margin and reconstruction of the bone or soft tissue as needed.
Preparing for it
Bring every previous X-ray, scan and report, ideally with the images on a disc or link, because comparing old and new images is one of the most useful ways to tell a quiet lesion from an active one. X-rays taken abroad or at another UAE clinic are just as valuable. Bring a list of your medicines and any records of past cancer treatment.
A pre-operative assessment, blood tests and an anaesthetic review confirm you are ready, and you receive fasting instructions and a plan for blood thinners and diabetes medicines. If you are fasting during Ramadan, mention it when booking so that scans and the operation can be timed around your fast.
Afterwards
After curettage and grafting, the bone regains its strength gradually, so your surgeon sets how much weight or load the limb may take. Physiotherapy starts early: at Dar Al Kamal Hospital, the physical therapists work closely with the orthopedic surgeons to restore movement and strength around the operated bone or muscle. After a soft-tissue excision, keep the wound clean and dry, and in the Sharjah heat avoid sweating into the dressing and drink plenty of water.
Follow-up covers the pathology result and a surveillance plan, usually repeat X-rays or MRI at intervals your surgeon sets, to confirm the site stays clear. Families living abroad often want copies of every report, and the team can provide these.
Contact the hospital if the wound becomes red, swollen or starts to leak, if you develop a fever, or if a new lump appears at the operation site. **Go to the emergency department straight away if the limb becomes suddenly very painful, swollen or deformed, your calf swells and hurts, or you become short of breath.**
Cost and insurance
The orthopedic consultation and X-rays are covered by most UAE health insurance plans. MRI and CT scans, biopsy and planned tumour surgery usually need pre-approval, supported by the imaging and, for the main operation, the biopsy report. Bone graft substitutes and implants may be assessed separately. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you check your cover on 06 599 7777.
Related services
Frequently asked questions
Is a lump or spot on a bone usually cancer?
Most bone lumps and lesions found on X-ray are benign, particularly in children and young adults, and many never need treatment. An orthopedic assessment with the right imaging, and a biopsy where needed, is how the benign majority is told apart from the few that need cancer treatment.
Is bone tumour surgery available at Dar Al Kamal Hospital?
Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah performs bone and soft tissue tumour surgery with its orthopedic surgeons, including biopsy, removal of benign bone and soft-tissue tumours, and bone reconstruction. Malignant tumours are managed together with a multidisciplinary oncology team that plans surgery alongside any other treatment.
What are the risks of bone and soft tissue tumour surgery?
Bone and soft tissue tumour surgery carries risks including infection, bleeding, blood clots, a reaction to the anaesthetic, nerve or blood vessel injury, stiffness, and fracture of a bone weakened by the tumour. Some benign tumours can return at the same site and need further surgery, and a biopsy sometimes needs repeating if the sample is inconclusive. Your surgeon explains how these risks apply to you.
Why is the biopsy path planned so carefully?
The biopsy path for a bone or soft-tissue tumour is planned along the line of any later operation, because for a possible cancer the biopsy track is removed together with the tumour. A poorly placed biopsy can make the final operation larger, which is why imaging comes first and the biopsy is planned by the surgical team.
Do all benign bone tumours need surgery?
Many benign bone tumours need no surgery and are followed with repeat X-rays to confirm they stay stable. Surgery is advised when a benign tumour causes pain, grows, presses on nearby structures or weakens the bone enough to risk a fracture.
What symptoms of a bone or soft tissue tumour need prompt attention?
Bone pain that wakes you at night or is present at rest, a lump that is growing, a soft-tissue lump larger than a golf ball or lying deep in the muscle, and a bone that breaks after little or no injury all need prompt review by an orthopedic surgeon. Unexplained weight loss or fever alongside bone pain also deserves early assessment.
Can children get bone tumours?
Children can develop bone tumours, and most in childhood are benign, such as non-ossifying fibromas, bone cysts and osteochondromas. Persistent leg or arm pain in a child, especially at night, or a new bony lump deserves an orthopedic assessment rather than being put down to growing pains.
Is bone tumour surgery covered by insurance?
Most UAE health insurance plans cover bone tumour surgery when it is medically needed, and imaging, biopsy and planned surgery usually need pre-approval. Confirm your cover with Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah on 06 599 7777.
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