Diagnosis and management of thoracic disc disease

In the last decade there has been a decided improvement in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of thoracic disc protrusions. This has been made possible through the development of water-soluble myelography, CT scan, high speed drills, bipolar coagulation, intraoperative magnification, and the direct frontal approaches to these lesions. Results of surgery have been rather spectacular. These results parallel, if not surpass, the improvements made in the treatment of aneurysms and benign tumors by neurological surgeons. The morbidity rate of 33% has been reduced to less than 1% due to these advances (Table 30.5) (3).