How good are the outcomes of instrumented debulking operations for symptomatic spinal metastases and how long do they stand? A subgroup analysis in the global spine tumor study group database.

We found that palliative debulking and instrumentation surgeries were performed throughout all Tomita and Tokuhashi categories. These surgeries reduced pain scores and improved quality of life up to 2 years after surgery. After initial improvement, a proportion of patients experienced neurological deterioration by 1 year, but the majority of patients remained stable.