BACKGROUND: In recent years, percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD) has been developed gradually in China. But there have been fewer further studies on the indications and contraindications for the use of the therapy.OBJECTIVE: To analyze the therapeutic effect after the choice of the indications for PLDD.DESIGN: A case-paired observational analysis with the patients as the subjects.SETTING: The Department of Radiology and Department of Soft Injuries of the 474 Hospital of Chinese PLA.PARTICIPANTS: We recruited inpatients of the 474 Hospital of Chinese PLA after PLDD between August 1998 and December 2004 as subjects for this research. Totally 68 cases were involved. According to the same gender, the closeness in age, the cases were matched and divided into 2 groups (eg. If there were 2 or more than 2 cases with the same age, the case whose disease course is the closest one was chosen): poor indication group (n=34) and good indication group (n=34).METHODS: A pillow was put under the belly of the patient who lay face down on the angiographic bed with the side with serious symptoms near the outside of the bed (the side where doctor operated). Symbols were marked on the body surface under the fluoroscopy. The waist was subjected to conventional sterilization and was paved with a piece of sterile cloth. 5 Ml of lydocaine was used for anesthesia. 8-12 cm to the posterior central midline of the diseased side, an incision was made to insert the needle according to the fat and thinness of the patients, and attention to the angle adjustment was needed to enter the intervertebral disc through "the secure triangle"beneath the nerve root so that 5 mm of the exposed front segment covered the needle end completely. Cautery was made with 15 W laser for every 1s after an interval of 4 s. The total output power of laser was adjusted according to the area of intervertebral disc, which was usually 1 200-1 700joules. The gas produced should be drawn out during the cautery, and this was done at least for 3 times. If the patient felt the distending pain, drawing out gas should be performed at any time. The puncturing needle and fiberoptics were pulled out after the operation, and band-aid was applied to the local area. The patients lay at the supine position to let the doctor examine the remission and functional recovery. When the patients were discharged, modified Macnab standard was used to evaluate the therapeutic effect. Evaluation criteria: According to the modified Macnab standard, the therapeutic effect can be classified into the following types: excellent means disappearance of pain, no limitation in motor function, with complete recovery of normal working and movement; good means that the patients showed occasional pain, but were able to do light job; passable means that the patients showed partial improvement, but still felt pain, and were not able to work and move; poor means that the patients showed signs of nerve compression that further operation was needed. The therapeutic effect of being excellent and good was combined as good therapeutic effect,and that of being passable and poor was combined as poor therapeutic effect. X2test was performed to the paired numerative data by the author.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① General evaluation of the therapeutic effect of the poor indication group and good indication group according to modified Macnab standard when the patients were discharged from the hospital; ② Comparison of the curative effect between the group with intervertebral disc herniation ≥ 0.6 cm and the group with intervertebral disc herniation ＜ 0.6 cm; ③ Comparison of the therapeutic effect of the group complicated with spinal canal stenosis and the group with normal spinal canal; ④ Comparison of the therapeutic effect between the group with good indications and other groups with poor indications.RESULTS: All the 68 patients entered the result analysis. ①The therapeutic effect in the good indication group was obviously better than that in the poor indication group, with a significant difference [85%(29/34),56%(19/34) ,χ2=5.06,P ＜ 0.05]. ② The therapeutic effect was significantly better in the group with intervertevbral disc herniation ＜ 0.6 cm than in the group with intervertevbral discs herniation ≥ 0.6 cm, but without significant difference [75 % (6/8), 50% (4/8),χ2=0.25, P ＞ 0.05]. ③The therapeutic effects were close in the group complicated with spinal canal stenosis and the group with normal spinal canal, but without significant difference [80% ( 12/15 ), 73 ( 11/15 ) ,χ2=0,P ＞ 0.05].④ The therapeutic effect in the group with good indications was obviously better than that in other groups with poor indications, with a significant difference [100%( 11/11 ), 36%(4/11), χ2=5.14,P ＜ 0.05].CONCLUSION: It could improve the therapeutic effects of PLDD when indications were properly chosen.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous laser disc decompression(PLDD) is a new technology developed to treat lumbar herniated disk inrecent years; however,only limited literature has been reported about cohort study on its indications.OBJECTIVE: To treat patients with lumbar disc herniations by PLDD and evaluate the effects of PLDD in releasing painandimproving lumbar function after operation.DESIGN: Non-randomized concurrent controlled trial based on thepatients.SETTING: Department of Radiology of the 474 Hospital of Chinese PLA.PTICIPANTS: This study recruited totally 173 patients ( 101 males and 72 females aged from 18 to 75 years) who received PLDD in the Department of Radiology of the 474 Hospital of Chinese PLA from July 1998 to August 2002 and were followed up for over one year.METHODS:The 173 patients were divided into good indication group (Group A, n = 139) and poor indication group(Group B, n =34). Group B was further divided into extrusion group(Group B1 of 8 patients),lumbar canal stenosis group(Group B2 of 15 patients) and other conditions group (Group B3 of 11 patients). VAS scoring criteria and modified Macnab criteria were used to evaluate the curative effects.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary results: the degree of pain and lumbar function. Secondary results:the success rate of puncture as well as adverse events and side effects.RESULTS: The success rate of puncture was 96. 3％ for performing through L5 - S1 and 100％ through L3-4 and L4-5. In Group A, excellent postoperative effects were seen in 63 cases, good in 51 cases, fair in 20 cases and poor in 5 cases, with 82.0％ excellent and good rates. The excellent and good rate in Group B was 55.9％. Postoperative back pain could be relieved several days later. Other complications such as disc infection,psoas hematoma,rupture of colon,injuries of nerve roots and bloodvessels did not occur. There was a significant difference between Group A and Group B(x2=10.38, P ＜0.05).CONCLUSION: (① PLDD is a convenient, safe and reliable procedure in treating lumbar disc herniation because of its high success rate, satisfactory results and fewer complications.② Proper selection of indications helps improve the curative effects of lumbar disc herniation.

Objective To study of percutaneous laser disc decompression(PLDD)in the patients of lumbar disc herniations.Methods 66 patients were treated with PLDD.The mean age of the 48 male and 18 female patients was 39.3 years old.Results 58 patients of all,or 87.9% showed excellent or good result.15 patients(78.9%)showed excellent and 2 patients(10.5%) were good,2 patients(10.6%) were fair or poor under 30 year old.15 patients(44.1%)showed excellent and 17(50.5%)patients were good,2(5.9%)patients were fair in 31~50 years old.2(15.4%) patients showed excellent and 7(53.8%)patients were good,4(29.8%)patients were fair or poor over 51 years old.Conclusion PLDD is safe and convenient method of treating lumbar disc herniations.

Objective To study the effect of selection of indications in percutaneous laser disc decompression(PLDD).Methods Lumbar disc herniation treated by PLDD with satisfactory and unsuited indications in 34 cases respectively were matched studied.Results The curative effect was 85.3% and 55.9% in satisfactory indication group and unsuited indication group respectively (?~2=5.06,P

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD) and automated peroutaneous lumbar discectomy (APLD) have been widely used in the treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc prolapse.OBJECTIVE: To compare the symptoms and improvements of patients after receiving PLDD and APLD and analyze the characteristics of the two operations.DESIGN: A non-randomized concurrent controlled observation.SETTING: The 474 Hospital of Chinese PLA.PARTICIPANTS: Totally 106 inpatients with lumbar and leg diseases of different extent were selected from the 474 Hospital of Chinese PLA as the subjects. The patients were divided into APLD group( n =46) and PLDD group( n = 60) according to different intervention measures.INTERVENTIONS: APLD group: The dilating tube was probed at different levels, and working cannula of 4.8 mm was retained at last. The fenestration was made at the fibrous rings with the trepan, then nucleus pulposus of about 1 - 5 g was clipped by the pliers for nucleus pulposus. Electric discectomy apparatus was used to aspirate the nucleus pulposus of about 0.5 - 1.5 g at 600 - 300 rounds per minute. The electric discectomy apparatus and working cannula were pulled out after operation. PLDD group: The stylet was removed and optical fibers were inserted with the naked front segment (5 mm) com pletely going beyond the needle end. Cautery was made with 15 W laser for 1 s once a time at the interval of 4 s. The total output power of laser was adjusted between 1 200 - 1 700 joules. The patients lay at supine position to be examined for pain relief and functional recovery, and then they were sent back to the ward with flatbed cart for bed rest of 3 days. Therapeutic effects were evaluated according to modified Macnab' s criteria. The curative effect was presented as percentage.operations.excellent(47.8% ), 18 good(39. 1% ), 5 passable (10.9%), and 1 poor APLD group, there were 29 cases of excellent(48.4% ), 20 good (33.3%), 9 passable (15.0%), and 2 poor(3.3% ), with 81.7% excellent the two groups. Pain in the lumbar part usually sustained for several days,then was relieved and disappeared gradually. One patient in APLD group had infection of intervertebral disc. No complications occurred in PLDD group.CONCLUSION: PLDD and APLD do not differ significantly in excellent and good rate of treating prolapse of lumbar intervertebral disc. Compared with APLD, PLDD is a more convenient and minimally invasive technique causing fewer complications.

The historical surveillance results showed, there were 10 schistosomiasis cases in Huangshan City from 1994 to 2006. The survey in 2007 showed, the positive rates of blood examination for schistosomiasis in migrant workers and immigrant workers were 0.49% and 0.47% , respectively, but no schistosome-infected patients were detected by using the stool examination. An area with snails of 3 000 m~2 was found in the residence of the immigrant workers, but no infected snails were found. It is indicated that the mobile population has some impact on the transmission of schistosomiasis in the transmission-interrupted area. The surveillance and health education for the mobile population should be strengthened, and the imported infectious source should be prevented.