A Novel Balloon-Inflatable Catheter for Percutaneous Epidural Adhesiolysis and Decompression.
10.3344/kjp.2014.27.2.178
- Author:
Seong Soo CHOI
1
;
Eun Young JOO
;
Beom Sang HWANG
;
Jong Hyuk LEE
;
Gunn LEE
;
Jeong Hun SUH
;
Jeong Gill LEEM
;
Jin Woo SHIN
Author Information
1. Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. sjinwoo@hotmail.com
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
balloon;
lumbar disc herniation;
percutaneous epidural adhesiolysis;
post lumbar surgery syndrome;
spinal stenosis
- MeSH:
Catheters*;
Constriction, Pathologic;
Decompression*;
Humans;
Peas;
Spinal Nerves;
Spinal Stenosis;
Walking
- From:The Korean Journal of Pain
2014;27(2):178-185
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Epidural adhesions cause pain by interfering with the free movement of the spinal nerves and increasing neural sensitivity as a consequence of neural compression. To remove adhesions and deliver injected drugs to target sites, percutaneous epidural adhesiolysis (PEA) is performed in patients who are unresponsive to conservative treatments. We describe four patients who were treated with a newly developed inflatable balloon catheter for more effective PEA and relief of stenosis. In the present patients, treatments with repetitive epidural steroid injection and/or PEA with the Racz catheter or the NaviCath did not yield long-lasting effects or functional improvements. However, PEA and decompression with the inflatable balloon catheter led to maintenance of pain relief for more than seven months and improvements in the functional status with increases in the walking distance. The present case series suggests that the inflatable balloon catheter may be an effective alternative to performing PEA when conventional methods fail to remove adhesions or sufficiently relieve stenosis.
