Redmer van Leeuwen M.D. J Neurosurg. It often presents as low back pain in the early stages and progresses to sensory, motor, bowel and bladder control malfunctions. van Leeuwen R, Notermans NC, Vandertop WP. (2)Department of Neurosurgery, Sapporo Azabu Neurosurgical Hospital, Sapporo, Japan. Surgical outcomes for tethered spinal cord syndrome (TCS) associated with low-lying conus medullaris were evaluated. Tethered cord occurs when the spinal cord is attached to tissues around the spine, most commonly at the base of the spine. Patients were examined by the same neurologist in a standardized fashion before and after surgery, and most were followed for at least 2 years postoperatively. Pathway Background and Objectives. Secondary outcomes studied were complications of surgery and pregnancy, neonatal morbidity and mortality, time of first shunt placement, locomotion, developmental assessments, Chiari II development, degree of disability, rates of epidermoid cyst development and of spinal cord tethering. The most common treatment for tethered spinal cord is a lumbar laminectomy to release the tethered cord. Surgical Outcomes of Pediatric Patients with Asymptomatic Tethered Cord Syndrome. Surgery for a Tethered Spinal Cord. Tethered cord symptoms usually require follow-up surgery -- they generally do not resolve without it. Surgery in adults with tethered cord syndrome: outcome study with independent clinical review. Recovery From Surgery for Tethered Cord Syndrome With a Normally Positioned Conus in Children Postoperative Orders HOB , positioning, activity, bathing: The patient is kept flat on bed rest for 3 days to allow for dural healing and to put as little CSF pressure on the dura as possible during this time. Surgery in adults with tethered cord syndrome: outcome study with independent clinical review. The method runs a flexible cord … The attached tissue limits the movement of the spinal cord within the spinal column and causes an abnormal stretching of the spinal cord and impairment of blood flow to the nerve tissue. The success of a surgery for scoliosis depends on how much growth a patient has left. PubMed PMID: 11302621. We investigated the long-term results of untethering the spinal cord and dural plasty in surgical patients with a wide age range. Improvement of bladder dysfunction and suppression of leg deformity progression were noted in two pediatric patients. Some people in the ME community experienced significant improvements, including full ME remissions after their fusions -- only to develop symptoms of tethered cord syndrome months later. We propose that composite tissue closure of tethered cord repairs yields superior outcomes and that a collaborative effort between neurosurgery and plastic surgery may result in enhanced structural and functional results. For this procedure, the patient is placed under general anesthesia. 2001 Apr;94(2 Suppl):205-9. Author information: (1)Department of Neurosurgery, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan. New tools could make that easier to predict. Seki T(1), Hida K(2), Yano S(2), Houkin K(1). Tethered cord syndrome (TCS) is a progressive neurological condition that results from vertical traction and stretching of the spinal cord.