Spinal Tumour Surgery in Sharjah

What is spinal tumour surgery?

Spinal tumour surgery treats growths that sit in the bones of the spine, in the space around the spinal cord, or occasionally within the cord itself. Some start in the spine, such as meningiomas and nerve sheath tumours, which are usually benign and grow slowly. In adults, the more common situation is a cancer from elsewhere, often the breast, lung, prostate or kidney, that has spread to a vertebra.

The operation has three possible aims, and your plan may combine them: freeing the spinal cord and nerves from pressure, removing as much of the growth as is safe, and holding a weakened spine together with screws and rods. Every piece of tissue removed goes to the laboratory, and occasionally that report is the first sign of a cancer elsewhere in the body.

At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, the operation is performed by the neurosurgeon in the Neurosurgery department, with anaesthesia and intensive care teams alongside.

Who needs it

The warning pattern differs from everyday back pain. Pain that builds steadily, wakes you at night or is worse lying flat, pain in the upper or middle back, and pain in someone with a history of cancer all deserve an MRI. Weakness, numbness, unsteady walking or changes in bladder control point to pressure on the cord or nerves.

Surgery is considered when a growth is pressing on the cord or nerves, when the spine has become unstable or is at risk of collapse, when a benign tumour is causing symptoms, or when tissue is needed to name the tumour. The alternatives are real. Many spinal metastases respond well to radiotherapy alone, some small benign tumours are watched with repeat MRI, and pain from a weakened vertebra is sometimes managed with bracing or a cement injection. Radiotherapy, chemotherapy and focused radiation are arranged by referral to a specialist oncology centre.

The decision is made with you and your family, weighing the tumour type, how quickly symptoms are changing, how stable the spine is and your general health. Where cancer is already known, your oncologist's view forms part of that discussion.

What happens

Planning usually starts with an MRI of the whole spine, because a second area of involvement can be present without symptoms. A CT scan shows how much bone the tumour has eaten into, and blood tests complete the picture. Where the cord is under pressure, steroid medicine to reduce swelling is often started straight away.

The operation takes place under general anaesthetic, most often through the back. The surgeon removes the bone and tumour pressing on the cord, working under magnification, and where the spine has lost strength, fixes the vertebrae with screws and rods, as described on the spinal fusion page. For a benign tumour the aim is usually complete removal; for spread cancer the aim is usually decompression and stability, with radiotherapy finishing the job.

Where nerve monitoring during surgery or surgical navigation would help a particular tumour, the neurosurgeon discusses referral to a centre that provides them.

Preparing for it

• Bring every scan and report, including those from abroad, and any oncology letters
• List all medicines, particularly blood thinners, diabetes medicines and any cancer treatment
• Tell the team if you have had radiotherapy to the spine, as it affects wound healing
• Arrange for family to be close by, since the first days involve help with moving
• Ask your employer about leave early; a desk job and heavy lifting work have very different return plans

If surgery falls during Ramadan, agree fasting and medicine timing with the team beforehand.

Afterwards

Recovery focuses on standing and walking again. The nursing team checks strength, sensation and bladder function regularly, and rehabilitation is arranged by referral where walking or balance need rebuilding. Once the laboratory report is ready, the neurosurgeon explains it and coordinates the next step, which for spread cancer is usually referral for radiotherapy after the wound has healed. Drink plenty of water in the UAE heat, and follow the lifting limits you are given.

Go to the nearest emergency department at once if you have cancer and notice leg weakness or numbness that is getting rapidly worse, or new bladder or bowel problems, as these can signal spinal cord compression. Contact the hospital on 06 599 7777 if the wound becomes red, swollen or starts to leak, or if you develop a fever.

Cost and insurance

Spinal tumour surgery requires insurance pre-approval, and a whole-spine MRI often needs its own approval first. Implants, intensive care, pathology and later radiotherapy are frequently approved as separate steps, so starting each request early avoids delay. In an emergency, treatment proceeds while approval follows. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you confirm your cover on 06 599 7777.