Surgical selection and outcomes: Unilateral hemilaminectomy vs. total laminectomy for spinal tumors

Introduction Spinal tumor surgery mandates complete removal with preserved neurological function and stability. Total Laminectomy (TL) provides access but risks complications (pain, deformity) from extensive tissue removal. The safer, tissue-sparing Unilateral Hemilaminectomy (UHL) is limited by concerns about complete resection via its narrower corridor. Research question This study was comparing the clinical and radiological characteristic between unilateral TL and total laminectomy UHL and they clinical outcomes and complications. Material and methods This was a retrospective cohort study comparing UHL and TL for intradural/extradural spinal tumors. We analyzed consecutive patients operated between January 2018 and December 2024, excluding those with confounding factors. Surgical approach was selected based on tumor location and intraoperative needs. Data on patient demographics, pre/postoperative neurological status, surgical parameters, and tumor characteristics were collected. Primary outcomes were postoperative neurological status and complications rate. Statistical analysis compared variables between groups using appropriate tests, with significance at p = 0.05. Results Baseline characteristics were similar between groups, and the overall postoperative complication rate was low (6.3 %) and comparable. The postoperative KPS score between UHL and TL showed improvement, without significant difference between them. Both approaches yielded significant improvements in functional status and neurological recovery from preoperative baselines. Discussion and conclusion Our findings indicate that the tissue-sparing UHL approach can achieve similar functional outcomes and complication rates as TL for similarly sized tumors. This supports UHL as a safe and effective option, although the final surgical approach must remain individualized based on specific tumor complexity and radiological findings.