Minimally invasive tethered cord release in adults: a comparison of open and mini-open approaches

2010 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. E7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew B. Potts ◽  
Jau-Ching Wu ◽  
Nalin Gupta ◽  
Praveen V. Mummaneni

Object Symptomatic tethered cord and associated anomalies such as diastematomyelia rarely present during adulthood but can cause significant pain as well as motor, sensory, and bladder dysfunction. As with children, studies have shown that surgical detethering may provide improvement in pain and neurological deficits. Typical surgical management involves an open laminectomy, sectioning of the filum terminale, and exploration of the split cord malformation. Such open approaches, however, cause significant paraspinous muscle trauma and scarring. Recent advances in minimally invasive techniques allow for access to the spine and thecal sac while minimizing associated muscular trauma. The authors present a comparison of open versus minimally invasive surgery to treat adult tethered cord syndrome. Methods Six adult patients underwent surgical release of a tethered spinal cord (2 of them also had diastematomyelia). The mean age of the patients was 47.78 years (range 31–64 years). All medical records and images were retrospectively reviewed. Three of the patients underwent traditional open laminectomies for detethering (open group) while the other 3 patients underwent minimally invasive (mini-open) spinal cord detethering. The length of the incision, length of stay, estimated blood loss, and complications were compared between the 2 groups. Results All 6 patients had tethered spinal cords, and 1 patient in each group had diastematomyelia. The mean estimated blood loss during surgery (300 ml in the open group vs 167 ml in the mini-open group, p = 0.313) and the mean length of stay (7 days in the open group vs 6.3 days in the mini-open group, p = 0.718) were similar between the 2 groups. The incision length was half as long in the mini-open group versus the open group. However, 1 patient in the mini-open group developed a postoperative pseudomeningocele requiring surgical revision, whereas the open group had no revision surgeries. Conclusions Cases of symptomatic diastematomyelia and tethered cord in adults can be safely and effectively explored through a mini-open approach. In this small case series, the authors did find that the mini-open group had an incision that was 50% smaller than the open group, but they did not find a significant clinical difference between the groups.

2008 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 560-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjay S. Dhall ◽  
Michael Y. Wang ◽  
Praveen V. Mummaneni

Object As minimally invasive approaches gain popularity in spine surgery, clinical outcomes and effectiveness of mini–open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) compared with traditional open TLIF have yet to be established. The authors retrospectively compared the outcomes of patients who underwent mini–open TLIF with those who underwent open TLIF. Methods Between 2003 and 2006, 42 patients underwent TLIF for degenerative disc disease or spondylolisthesis; 21 patients underwent mini–open TLIF and 21 patients underwent open TLIF. The mean age in each group was 53 years, and there was no statistically significant difference in age between the groups (p = 0.98). Data were collected perioperatively. In addition, complications, length of stay (LOS), fusion rate, and modified Prolo Scale (mPS) scores were recorded at routine intervals. Results No patient was lost to follow-up. The mean follow-up was 24 months for the mini-open group and 34 months for the open group. The mean estimated blood loss was 194 ml for the mini-open group and 505 ml for the open group (p < 0.01). The mean LOS was 3 days for the mini-open group and 5.5 days for the open group (p < 0.01). The mean mPS score improved from 11 to 19 in the mini-open group and from 10 to 18 in the open group; there was no statistically significant difference in mPS score improvement between the groups (p = 0.19). In the mini-open group there were 2 cases of transient L-5 sensory loss, 1 case of a misplaced screw that required revision, and 1 case of cage migration that required revision. In the open group there was 1 case of radiculitis as well as 1 case of a misplaced screw that required revision. One patient in the mini-open group developed a pseudarthrosis that required reoperation, and all patients in the open group exhibited fusion. Conclusions Mini–open TLIF is a viable alternative to traditional open TLIF with significantly reduced estimated blood loss and LOS. However, the authors found a higher incidence of hardware-associated complications with the mini–open TLIF.


2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee A. Tan ◽  
Ippei Takagi ◽  
David Straus ◽  
John E. O'Toole

Object Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been increasingly used for the treatment of various intradural spinal pathologies in recent years. Although MIS techniques allow for successful treatment of intradural pathology, primary dural closure in MIS can be technically challenging due to a limited surgical corridor through the tubular retractor system. The authors describe their experience with 23 consecutive patients from a single institution who underwent MIS for intradural pathologies, along with a review of pertinent literature. Methods A retrospective review of a prospectively collected surgical database was performed to identify patients who underwent MIS for intradural spinal pathologies between November 2006 and July 2013. Patient demographics, preoperative records, operative notes, and postoperative records were reviewed. Primary outcomes include operative duration, estimated blood loss, length of bed rest, length of hospital stay, and postoperative complications, which were recorded prospectively. Results Twenty-three patients who had undergone MIS for intradural spinal pathologies during the study period were identified. Fifteen patients (65.2%) were female and 8 (34.8%) were male. The mean age at surgery was 54.4 years (range 30–74 years). Surgical pathologies included neoplastic (17 patients), congenital (3 patients), vascular (2 patients), and degenerative (1 patient). The most common spinal region treated was lumbar (11 patients), followed by thoracic (9 patients), cervical (2 patients), and sacral (1 patient). The mean operative time was 161.1 minutes, and the mean estimated blood loss was 107.2 ml. All patients were allowed full activity less than 24 hours after surgery. The median length of stay was 78.2 hours. Primary sutured dural closure was achieved using specialized MIS instruments with adjuvant fibrin sealant in all cases. The rate of postoperative headache, nausea, vomiting, and diplopia was 0%. No case of cutaneous CSF fistula or symptomatic pseudomeningocele was identified at follow-up, and no patient required revision surgery. Conclusions Primary dural closure with early mobilization is an effective strategy with excellent clinical outcomes in the use of MIS techniques for intradural spinal pathology. Prolonged bed rest after successful primary dural closure appears unnecessary, and the need for watertight dural closure should not prevent the use of MIS techniques in this specific patient population.


BMC Urology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Changwei Ji ◽  
Qun Lu ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Feifei Zhang ◽  
Hao Ji ◽  
...  

Abstract Background To compare the perioperative outcomes of transperitoneal laparoscopic (TLA), retroperitoneal laparoscopic (RLA), and robot-assisted transperitoneal laparoscopic (RATLA) adrenalectomy for adrenal tumors in our center. Methods Between April 2012 and February 2018, 241 minimally invasive adrenalectomies were performed. Cases were categorized based on the minimally invasive adrenalectomy technique. Demographic characteristics, perioperative information and pathological data were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Results This study included 37 TLA, 117 RLA, and 87 RATLA procedures. Any two groups had comparable age, ASA score, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and preoperative hemoglobin. The tumor size for RLA patients was 2.7 ± 1.1 cm, which was significantly smaller compared to patients who underwent TLA/RATLA (p = 0.000/0.000). Operative time was similar in any two groups, while estimated blood loss was lower for RATLA group (75.6 ± 95.6 ml) compared with the TLA group (131.1 ± 204.5 ml) (p = 0.041). Conversion to an open procedure occurred in only one (2.7%) patient in the TLA group for significant adhesion and hemorrhage. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of transfusion rate and complication rate. Length of stay was shorter for the RATLA group versus the TLA/RLA group (p = 0.000/0.029). In all groups, adrenocortical adenoma and pheochromocytoma were the most frequent histotypes. Conclusions Minimally invasive adrenalectomy is associated with expected excellent outcomes. In our study, the RATLA approach appears to provide the benefits of decreased estimated blood loss and length of stay. Robotic adrenalectomy appears to be a safe and effective alternative to conventional laparoscopic adrenalectomy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 958-964
Author(s):  
Can Zhang ◽  
Chih-Chang Chang ◽  
Praveen V. Mummaneni ◽  
Chenghua Yuan ◽  
Sanjay Dhall ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVERecurrent tethered cord syndrome (TCS), believed to result from tension on the distal portion of the spinal cord, causes a constellation of neurological symptoms. Detethering surgery has been the traditional treatment for TCS. However, in cases of recurrent TCS, there is a risk of new neurological deficits developing, and subsequent retethering is difficult to prevent. Spinal column shortening has been proposed as an alternative technique to reduce the tension on the spinal cord without incurring the morbidity of revision surgery on the spinal cord. The authors compared the perioperative outcomes and morbidity of patients who were treated with one or the other procedure.METHODSThe medical records of 16 adult patients with recurrent TCS who were treated between 2005 and 2018 were reviewed. Eight patients underwent spinal column shortening, and 8 patients underwent revision detethering surgery. Patient demographics, clinical outcomes, and perioperative factors were analyzed. The authors include a video to illustrate their technique of spinal column shortening.RESULTSWithin the spinal column shortening group, no patients experienced any complications, and all 8 patients either improved or stabilized with regard to lower-extremity and bowel and bladder function. Within the revision detethering group, 2 patients had worsening of lower-extremity strength, 3 patients had worsening of bowel and bladder function, and 1 patient had improvement in bladder function. Also, 3 patients had wound-related complications. The median estimated blood loss was 731 ml in the shortening group and 163 ml in the revision detethering group. The median operative time was 358 minutes in the shortening group and 226 minutes in the revision detethering group.CONCLUSIONSClinical outcomes were comparable between the groups, but none of the spinal column shortening patients experienced worsening, whereas 3 of the revision detethering patients did and also had wound-related complications. Although the operative times and blood loss were higher in the spinal column shortening group, this procedure may be an alternative to revision detethering in extremely scarred or complex wound revision cases.


2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. E16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijay M. Ravindra ◽  
Andrea Brock ◽  
Al-Wala Awad ◽  
Ricky Kalra ◽  
Meic H. Schmidt

OBJECTIVE Treatment advances have resulted in improved survival for many cancer types, and this, in turn, has led to an increased incidence of metastatic disease, specifically to the vertebral column. Surgical decompression and stabilization prior to radiation therapy have been shown to improve functional outcomes, but anterior access to the thoracolumbar junction may involve open thoracotomy, which can cause significant morbidity. The authors describe the treatment of 12 patients in whom a mini-open thoracoscopic-assisted approach (mini-open TAA) to the thoracolumbar junction was used to treat metastatic disease, with an analysis of outcomes. METHODS The authors reviewed a retrospective cohort of patients treated for thoracolumbar junction metastatic disease with mini-open TAA between 2004 and 2016. Data collection included operative time, estimated blood loss, length of stay, follow-up duration, and pre- and postoperative visual analog scale scores and Frankel grades. RESULTS Twelve patients underwent a mini-open TAA procedure for metastatic disease at the thoracolumbar junction. The mean age of patients was 59 years (range 53–77 years), mean estimated blood loss was 613 ml, and the mean duration of the mini-open TAA procedure was 234 minutes (3.8 hours). The median length of stay in the hospital was 7.5 days (range 5–21 days). All 12 patients had significant improvement in their postoperative pain scores in comparison with their preoperative pain scores (p < 0.001). No patients suffered from worsening neurological function after surgery, and of 7 patients who presented with neurological dysfunction, 6 (86%) had an improvement in their Frankel grade after surgery. No patients experienced delayed hardware failure requiring reoperation over a mean follow-up of 10 months (range 1–45 months). CONCLUSIONS The mini-open TAA to the thoracolumbar junction for metastatic disease is a durable procedure that has a reduced morbidity rate compared with traditional open thoracotomy for ventral decompression and fusion. It compares well with traditional and novel posterior approaches to the thoracolumbar junction. The authors found a significant improvement in preoperative pain and neurological symptoms that supports greater use of the mini-open TAA for the treatment of complex metastatic disease at the thoracolumbar junction.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 222-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian S. Mutchnick ◽  
Todd A. Maugans

Object Multiple surgical procedures have been described for the management of isolated nonsyndromic sagittal synostosis. Minimally invasive techniques have been recently emphasized, but these techniques necessitate the use of an endoscope and postoperative helmeting. The authors assert that a safe and effective, more “minimalistic” approach is possible, avoiding the use of endoscopic visualization and routine postoperative application of a cranial orthosis. Methods A single-institution cohort analysis was performed on 18 cases involving infants treated for isolated nonsyndromic sagittal synostosis between 2008 and 2010 using a nonendoscopic, minimally invasive calvarial vault remodeling (CVR) procedure without postoperative helmeting. The surgical technique is described. Variables analyzed were: age at time of surgery, sex, estimated blood loss (EBL), operative time, intraoperative complications, postoperative complications, length of stay, pre- and postoperative cephalic index (CI), clinical impressions, and results of a 5-question nonstandardized questionnaire administered to patient caregivers regarding outcome. Results Eleven male and 7 female infants (mean age 2.3 months) were included in the study. The mean duration of follow-up was 16.4 months (range 6–38 months). The mean procedural time was 111 minutes (range 44–161 minutes). The mean length of stay was 2.3 days (range 2–3 days). The mean EBL in all 18 patients was 101.4 ml (range 30–475 ml). One patient had significant bone bleeding resulting in an EBL of 475 ml. Excluding this patient, the mean EBL was 79.4 ml (range 30–150 ml). There were no deaths or intraoperative complications; one patient had a superficial wound infection. The mean CI was 69 preoperatively versus 79 postoperatively, a statistically significant difference (p < 0.0001). Two patients were offered helmeting for suboptimal surgical outcome; one family declined and the single helmeted patient showed improvement at 2 months. No patient has undergone further surgery for correction of primary deformity, secondary deformities, or bony irregularities. Complete questionnaire data were available for 14 (78%) of the 18 patients; 86% of the respondents were pleased with the cosmetic outcome, 92% were happy to have avoided helmeting, 72% were doubtful that helmeting would have provided more significant correction, and 86% were doubtful that further surgery would be necessary. Small, palpable, aesthetically insignificant skull irregularities were reported by family members in 6 cases (43%). Conclusions The authors present a nonendoscopic, minimally invasive CVR procedure without postoperative helmeting. Their small series demonstrates this to be a safe and efficacious procedure for isolated nonsyndromic sagittal synostosis, with improvements in CI at a mean follow-up of 16.1 months, commensurate with other techniques, and with overall high family satisfaction. Use of a CVR cranial orthosis in a delayed fashion can be effective for the infrequent patient in whom this approach results in suboptimal correction.


2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. E6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neel Anand ◽  
Rebecca Rosemann ◽  
Bhavraj Khalsa ◽  
Eli M. Baron

Object The goal of this study was to assess the operative outcomes of adult patients with scoliosis who were treated surgically with minimally invasive correction and fusion. Methods This was a retrospective study of 28 consecutive patients who underwent minimally invasive correction and fusion over 3 or more levels for adult scoliosis. Hospital and office charts were reviewed for clinical data. Functional outcome data were collected at each visit and at the last follow-up through self-administered questionnaires. All radiological measurements were obtained using standardized computer measuring tools. Results The mean age of the patients in the study was 67.7 years (range 22–81 years), with a mean follow-up time of 22 months (range 13–37 months). Estimated blood loss for anterior procedures (transpsoas discectomy and interbody fusions) was 241 ml (range 20–2000 ml). Estimated blood loss for posterior procedures, including L5–S1 transsacral interbody fusion (and in some cases L4–5 and L5–S1 transsacral interbody fusion) and percutaneous screw fixation, was 231 ml (range 50–400 ml). The mean operating time, which was recorded from incision time to closure, was 232 minutes (range 104–448 minutes) for the anterior procedures, and for posterior procedures it was 248 minutes (range 141–370 minutes). The mean length of hospital stay was 10 days (range 3–20 days). The preoperative Cobb angle was 22° (range 15–62°), which corrected to 7° (range 0–22°). All patients maintained correction of their deformity and were noted to have solid arthrodesis on plain radiographs. This was further confirmed on CT scans in 21 patients. The mean preoperative visual analog scale and treatment intensity scale scores were 7.05 and 53.5; postoperatively these were 3.03 and 25.88, respectively. The mean preoperative 36-Item Short Form Health Survey and Oswestry Disability Index scores were 55.73 and 39.13; postoperatively they were 61.50 and 7, respectively. In terms of major complications, 2 patients had quadriceps palsies from which they recovered within 6 months, 1 sustained a retrocapsular renal hematoma, and 1 patient had an unrelated cerebellar hemorrhage. Conclusions Minimally invasive surgical correction of adult scoliosis results in mid- to long-term outcomes similar to traditional surgical approaches. Whereas operating times are comparable to those achieved with open approaches, blood loss and morbidity appear to be significantly lower in patients undergoing minimally invasive deformity correction. This approach may be particularly useful in the elderly.


2013 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. ons192-ons197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel C. Tender ◽  
Daniel Serban

Abstract BACKGROUND: The minimally invasive lateral retroperitoneal approach for lumbar fusions is a novel technique with good results, but also with significant sensory and motor complications. OBJECTIVE: To present the early results of a modified surgical technique, in which the psoas muscle is dissected under direct visualization. METHODS: Thirteen consecutive patients with L4-5 or L3-4 pathology were prospectively followed after being treated using a minimally invasive lateral approach with direct exposure of the psoas muscle before dissection. There were 7 woman and 6 men with a mean age of 52.3 years. Perioperative parameters like operative time, estimated blood loss, and length of stay, were noted. Pain, paresthesia, and motor weakness, as well as any other complications, were evaluated at 2 weeks and 3 months postoperatively. RESULTS: The mean operative time, estimated blood loss, and length of stay were 163 minutes, 126 mL, and 3 days, respectively. One patient exhibited anterior thigh pain and paresthesia at 2 weeks, both of which resolved by 3 months. Two patients experienced superficial wound infections that healed with antibiotics. The genitofemoral nerve was identified and protected in 7 patients; in 4 patients, it had a more posterior anatomic location than expected. The femoral nerve was not exposed or detected in the operative field by neuromonitoring, nor were there any symptoms related to a femoral nerve injury in any patient. CONCLUSION: Dissection of the psoas muscle under direct visualization during the minimally invasive lateral approach may provide increased safety to the genitofemoral and femoral nerves.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken Ohata ◽  
Masahiko Murakami ◽  
Kimiyasu Yamazaki ◽  
Kouichi Nonaka ◽  
Nobutsugu Misumi ◽  
...  

Background. Superficial duodenal neoplasms (SDNs) are a challenging target in the digestive tract. Surgical resection is invasive, and it is difficult to determine the site and extent of the lesion from outside the intestine and resect it locally. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has scarcely been utilized in the treatment of duodenal tumors because of technical difficulties and possible delayed perforation due to the action of digestive juices. Thus, no standard treatments for SDNs have been established. To challenge this issue, we elaborated endoscopy-assisted laparoscopic full-thickness resection (EALFTR) and analyzed its feasibility and safety.Methods. Twenty-four SDNs in 22 consecutive patients treated by EALFTR between January 2011 and July 2012 were analyzed retrospectively.Results. All lesions were removed en bloc. The lateral and vertical margins of the specimens were negative for tumor cells in all cases. The mean sizes of the resected specimens and lesions were 28.9 mm (SD ± 10.5) and 13.3 mm (SD ± 11.6), respectively. The mean operation time and intraoperative estimated blood loss were 133 min (SD ± 45.2) and 16 ml (SD ± 21.1), respectively. Anastomotic leakage occurred in three patients (13.6%) postoperatively, but all were minor leakage and recovered conservatively. Anastomotic stenosis or bleeding did not occur.Conclusions. EALFTR can be a safe and minimally invasive treatment option for SDNs. However, the number of cases in this study was small, and further accumulations of cases and investigation are necessary.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Syed Ali Ehsanullah ◽  
Abida Sultana ◽  
Brian Kelly ◽  
Charlotte Dunford ◽  
Zaheer Shah

Introduction. To assess a minimally invasive open technique for partial nephrectomy with zero ischaemia time. Methods. A review was performed in a prospectively maintained database of a single surgeon series of all patients undergoing partial nephrectomy using a supra 12th rib miniflank incision with zero ischaemia. Data of seventy one patients who underwent a partial nephrectomy over an 82-month period were analyzed. Data analyzed included operative time, estimated blood loss, pre and postoperative renal function, complications, final pathological characteristics, and tumour size. Results. Seventy one partial nephrectomies were performed from February 2009 to October 2015. None were converted to radical nephrectomy. Mean operative time was 72 minutes (range 30–250), and mean estimated blood loss was 608 mls (range 100–2500) with one patient receiving blood transfusion. The mean pre and postoperative haemoglobin levels were 144 and 112 g/l. The mean pre and postoperative creatinine levels were 82 and 103 Umol/L. There were 8 Clavian–Dindo Grade 2 complications and 1 major complication (Clavian IIIa). Histology confirmed 24 benign lesions and 47 malignant lesions, 46 cT1a lesions, 24 cT1b lesions, and 1 cT2 lesion. Median follow-up was 38 months with no local recurrence or progression of disease with 5 patients having a positive margin (7%). Conclusion. Our results demonstrate that a supra 12th miniflank incision open partial nephrectomy with zero ischaemic time for SRMs has satisfactory outcomes with preservation of renal function. A minimally invasive open partial nephrectomy remains an important option for units that cannot offer patients a laparoscopic or a robotic procedure.


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