Total spondylectomy of an L3 osteosarcoma [L3 osteosarkomuna total spondilektomi cerrahisi]

Primary osteosarcoma is a rare malignant osseous tumor of vertebra. prognosis has been improved with new technologies and surgical techniques. in modern era of spinal surgery en bloc resection has become more popular in these neoplasms. we presented a 19-year-old young man admitted to our clinic with low back pain. an l3 vertebral mass lesion was detected on mri. ct-guided biopsy result was osteosarcoma. en bloc resection was planned. in the literature,intraoperative blood loss amounts were very high in osteosarcoma cases,so we decided to embolize the tumor pre-operatively. it worked in the surgery that only 700 ml of blood was lost. although surgery was one staged (combined anterior and posterior approaches),it took 6 hours with 2 surgeons. definitive diagnosis was osteosarcoma and the patient was referred to oncologists. embolization should be kept in mind before vertebral tumor surgery to make it smooth and easy.