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65th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

11 - 14 May 2014, Dresden

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Intraoperative imaging of microhemodynamics in peripheral nerves by contact endoscope

Meeting Abstract

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  • Sebastian Senger - Department of Neurosurgery, Saarland University Medical Center and Saarland University Faculty of Medicine, Homburg Saar, Germany
  • Dörthe Keiner - Department of Neurosurgery, Saarland University Medical Center and Saarland University Faculty of Medicine, Homburg Saar, Germany
  • Sonja Vulcu - Department of Neurosurgery, Saarland University Medical Center and Saarland University Faculty of Medicine, Homburg Saar, Germany
  • Karsten Schwerdtfeger - Department of Neurosurgery, Saarland University Medical Center and Saarland University Faculty of Medicine, Homburg Saar, Germany
  • Joachim Oertel - Department of Neurosurgery, Saarland University Medical Center and Saarland University Faculty of Medicine, Homburg Saar, Germany

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 65. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC). Dresden, 11.-14.05.2014. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2014. DocDI.08.06

doi: 10.3205/14dgnc157, urn:nbn:de:0183-14dgnc1574

Published: May 13, 2014

© 2014 Senger et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

Text

Objective: The microsurgical decompression is still the therapy of choice in most of entrapment neuropathies. However, the role of venous stasis and ischemia is still discussed controversially. With a new developed contact endoscope, we demonstrate in vivo visualization of microvessels of peripheral nerves during decompression surgery.

Method: In eleven patients suffering from entrapment neuropathies a video assisted analysis of peripheral nerves was performed. After accessing the spot of compression, high definition videos before and after decompression were recorded. Off line computer analysis for microhemodynamic parameters followed.

Results: The use of the contact endoscope caused no intra- or postoperative complications. In the off line computer assisted analysis single arterioles and veins were visualized showing significant increased blood flow after decompression. However no change in the epineural blood flow of tumor pathologies was seen.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated the successful application of a contact endoscope in peripheral nerve surgery for the first time. Our results suggest a potential role of the microcirculation for the development of symptoms in peripheral nerve entrapment neuropathies. Future studies will show if this endoscope can improve intraoperative minimal invasive diagnosis.