Duje Vukas

Effect of An Annular Closure Device (Barricaid) on Same Level Recurrent Disc Herniation and Disc Height Loss After Primary Lumbar Discectomy: Two-Year Results of a Multi-Center Prospective Cohort Study.

Study Design:A prospective cohort study. Objective:To evaluate whether an annular closure device could be implanted safely to reduce same-level recurrent disk herniation, or attenuate disk height loss and improve the outcome after lumbar discectomy. Summary of Background Data:Same-level recurrent disk herniation, disk height loss, and progressive degeneration are common complications and sequelae after lumbar discectomy. Techniques to reduce these consequences may improve outcomes. Methods:Forty-six consecutive patients undergoing lumbar discectomy for single-level herniated disk at 2 institutions were followed prospectively with clinical and radiographic evaluations at 6 weeks and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months (control cohort). A second consecutive cohort of 30 patients undergoing 31 lumbar discectomies with implantation of an annular closure device was followed similarly. Incidence of recurrent disk herniation, disk height loss, the leg and back pain visual analog scale (VAS), and the Oswestry Disability Index were assessed at each follow-up. Results:Cohorts were well matched at baseline. By 2 years of follow-up, symptomatic recurrent same-level disk herniation occurred in 3 (6.5%) patients in the control cohort versus 0 (0%) patients in the annular repair cohort (P=0.27). A trend of greater preservation of disk height was observed in the annular repair versus the control cohort 3 months (7.9 vs. 7.27 mm, P=0.08), 6 months (7.81 vs. 7.18 mm, P=0.09), and 12 months (7.63 vs. 6.9 mm, P=0.06) postoperatively. The annular closure cohort reported less leg pain (VAS-LP: 5 vs. 16, P<0.01), back pain (VAS-BP: 13 vs. 22, P<0.05), and disability (Oswestry Disability Index: 16 vs. 22, P<0.05) 1 year postoperatively. Conclusions:Implantation of a novel annular repair device was associated with greater maintenance of disk height and improved 1-year leg pain, back pain, and low-back disability. Recurrent disk herniation did not occur in any patient after annular repair. Closure of annular defect after lumbar discectomy may help preserve the physiological disk function and prevent long-term disk height loss and associated back and leg pain.

Cost savings associated with prevention of recurrent lumbar disc herniation with a novel annular closure device: a multicenter prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE Same-level recurrent disc herniation is a well-defined complication following lumbar discectomy. Reherniation results in increased morbidity and health care costs. Techniques to reduce these consequences may improve outcomes and reduce cost after lumbar discectomy. In a prospective cohort study, we set out to evaluate the cost associated with surgical management of recurrent, same-level lumbar disc herniation following primary discectomy. METHODS Forty-six consecutive European patients undergoing lumbar discectomy for a single-level herniated disc at two institutions were prospectively followed with clinical and radiographic evaluations. A second consecutive cohort of 30 patients undergoing 31 lumbar discectomies with implantation of an annular closure device was followed at the same hospitals and same follow-up intervals. Cost estimates for reherniation were modeled on Medicare national allowable payment amounts (direct cost) and patient work-day losses (indirect cost). RESULTS Annular closure and control cohorts were matched at baseline. By 2 years follow-up, symptomatic recurrent same-level disc herniation occurred in three (6.5%) patients in the control cohort versus zero (0%) patients in the annular closure cohort. For patients experiencing recurrent disc herniation, mean estimated direct and indirect cost of management of recurrent disc herniation was

Effect of anular closure on disk height maintenance and reoperated recurrent herniation following lumbar diskectomy: two-year data.

34,242 and

Locked-in syndrome in a patient with acute obstructive hydrocephalus, caused by large unruptured aneurysm of the basilar artery (BA)

3,778, respectively. Use of an annular closure device potentially results in a cost savings of

Nonfatal Systemic Air Embolism: A Grave Complication of Computed Tomography-Guided Percutaneous Transthoracic Needle Biopsy

222,573 per 100 primary discectomy procedures performed (or

Spontaneous contrast echoes in pericardial effusion: Sign of gas-producing infection

2,226 per discectomy), based solely on the reduction of reoperated reherniations when modeled on U.S. Medicare costs. CONCLUSIONS Recurrent disc herniation did not occur in any patients after annular closure within the 12-month follow-up. The reduction in the incidence of reherniation was associated with potentially significant cost savings. Development of novel techniques to prevent recurrent lumbar disc herniation is warranted to decrease the associated morbidity and health care costs associated with this complication.

Clinical outcomes in patients after lumbar disk surgery with annular reinforcement device: two-year follow up.

OBJECTIVE To assess the potential benefits of disk reherniation reduction and disk height maintenance in limited diskectomy combined with the implantation of the anular closure device. SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND DATA Postoperative disk height loss is apparent in most patients undergoing lumbar diskectomy for herniated nucleus pulposus. Less favorable patient outcomes are associated with significant loss in disk height that can occur after aggressive disk tissue removal. More conservative disk removals, however, are often burdened by the increased risk of recurrent disk herniation. METHODS Two prospective single-arm studies on patients treated with limited diskectomy and an anular closure device were conducted. Outcome measures included disk height maintenance relative to preoperative values, Oswestry Disability Index, back pain, leg pain, and complications such as reherniations. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively at 6 weeks and at 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-month time points. RESULTS A total of 75 patients were included in this cohort consisting of 40 men and 35 women with an average age of 40 years. Disk height maintenance within the group overall was 90% at 24 months. Overall, 97% of the treated disks demonstrated disk height maintenance of at least 75% of preoperative levels at 12 months and 92% at 24 months. Disk height maintenance was correlated with less nucleus removal. Patient disability, back pain, and leg pain were significantly improved from preoperative levels at 6 weeks and maintained over the course of study. There was a single symptomatic reherniation requiring surgical intervention within this series. CONCLUSIONS Limited lumbar diskectomy combined with the use of an anular closure device provided very low rates of disk reherniation and exhibited excellent disk height maintenance and sustained disability, leg pain, and back pain improvement within a 24-month postoperative study period. As with prior diskectomy studies, disk height maintenance was correlated with lower nucleus removal, although recurrence was less than in prior reports of limited diskectomy. Anular closure may allow for achievement of both objectives.

Minimalno invazivne procedure u liječenju križobolje i lumboishijalgije

Abstract We describe a case of acute obstructive hydrocephalus as a consequence of compression of the brainstem by a large aneurysm of the basilar artery (BA) in a 62-year-old male. After the insertion of the ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS), we encountered the “locked-in syndrome” clinical condition. “Locked-in syndrome” is a clinical state characterized by quadriplegia and anarthria with preserved consciousness, most commonly caused by ischemia in the ventral part of pons.

Klinički ishod u bolesnika nakon operacije hernije intervertebralnog diska pomoću proteze za rekonstrukciju defekta anulusa: rezultati dvogodišnjeg praćenja

Transthoracic computed tomography-guided core needle biopsy (TTNB) is a well-established method for diagnosing focal pulmonary lesions. However, the dangers associated with this method as well as the significant number of complications caused by it cannot be ignored. Systemic air embolism is a rare but potentially fatal complication that can accompany transthoracic needle biopsies of pulmonary lesions. In this study, we report nonfatal systemic air embolism as a complication of a transthoracic needle core biopsy of a subpleural nodule in the right upper pulmonary lobe of a patient with hemoptysis. Although extremely rare, the complication may result in a transient myocardial ischemia, which is presented with a transient depression of the ST segment.