Quite a tribute to the modern
treatment by antisepsis is shown in the results of laminectomy.
Of his non-antiseptic cases Lloyd reports a mortality of 65 per
cent; those surviving the operation are distributed as follows:
Cured, one; partially cured, seven; unknown, two; no improvement,
five. Of those cases operated upon under modern antiseptic
principles, the mortality was 50 per cent; those surviving were
distributed as follows: Cured, four; partially cured, 15; no
improvement, 11. The mortality in White's cases, which were all
done under antiseptic precautions, was 38 per cent. Of those
surviving, there were six complete recoveries, six with benefit,
and 11 without marked benefit. Pyle collects 52 cases of spinal
disease and injury, in which laminectomy was performed. All the
cases were operated upon since 1890. Of the 52 cases there were
15 deaths (a mortality of 29.4 per cent), 26 recoveries with
benefit, and five recoveries in which the ultimate result has not
been observed. It must be mentioned that several of the fatal
cases reported were those of cervical fracture, which is by far
the most fatal variety.
Injury to the spinal cord does not necessarily cause immediate
death. Mills and O'Hara, both of Philadelphia, have recorded
instances of recovery after penetrating wound of the spinal
marrow.
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