Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery for Tubercular Spondylitis

The present study evaluated the outcome of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in 9 patients (males = 6, females = 3) with clinico-radiological diagnosis of tubercular spondylitis of the dorsal spine. The mean duration of surgery was 140.88 +/- 20.09 minutes, mean blood was 417.77 +/- 190.90 mL, andmean duration of postoperative hospital stay was 5.77 +/- 0.97 days, Seven patients had a preoperative Grade A neurological involvement, while at the time of final followup the only deficit was Grade D power in 2 patients. In patients without bone graft placement (n = 6), average increase in Kyphosis angle was 16 degrees, while in patients with bone graft placement (n = 3) the deformity remained stationary. At the time of final follow up, fusion was achieved in all patients, the VAS score for back pain improved from a pretreatment score of 8.3 to 2, and the function assessment yielded excellent (n = 4) to good (n = 5) results. In two patients minithoracotomy had to be resorted due to extensive pleural adhesions (n = 1) or difficulty in placement of graft (n = 1). Videoassisted thoracoscopic surgery provides a safe and effective approach in the management of spinal tuberculosis. It has the advantages of decreased blood loss and post operative morbidity with minimal complications.