Yoshihiro Kitahama

Posterolateral percutaneous endoscopic discectomy with free-running electromyography monitoring under general anesthesia

Aim: Posterolateral percutaneous endoscopic discectomy (PLPED) is commonly performed under local anesthesia, but patients and surgeons are concerned about intraoperative uncontrolled pain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of the PLPED under general anesthesia with free-running electromyography (EMG) monitoring. Methods: The clinical outcomes of consecutive 48 cases of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) were evaluated by numeric rating scale (NRS) score and MacNab’s criteria. Hospital stay and time to ambulation and return to work were also assessed. Results: NRS score for the affected leg significantly improved from 6.4 to 0.9 immediately after the operation. MacNab’s criteria were 91.5% for a follow-up period of 13.5 months. Although no serious complication occurred, 3 patients (6.3%) had transient paresis that completely disappeared by 3 months. No recurrences were observed during the follow-up period. Conclusion: PLPED combined with EMG monitoring under general anesthesia is a safe and efficacious procedure for the treatment of LDH.

Enhanced MR angiography for depiction of spinal dural arteriovenous fistula in the craniocervical junction

Journal of Neuroradiology - In Press.Proof corrected by the author Available online since mardi 19 octobre 2010