CT-Guided Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression for Lumbar Discogenic Radiculopathy-Performance of a Novel Combi-Therapy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: On the basis of reported immediate and short-term excruciating pain by patients in the post-procedural period of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD) in our clinic, we present our initial clinical experience with a novel combi-therapy using a combination of CT-guided PLDD and CT-guided epidural nerve blocks, which proved effective in managing the pain. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 100 patients who met the criteria for PLDD, underwent treatment for lumbar discogenic radiculopathy between 2014 and 2017. Fifty-five percent of the patients were males and 45% were females with a mean age of 46.25 years. Ninety-five patients underwent one level PLDD and five patients two-level PLDD procedures. CT-guided epidural nerve block with a combination of Bupivacaine, Lignocaine, and Kenalog was used in a 3× procedure separated by a 1-week interval. The first nerve block was given the same day, immediately after the PLDD procedure. The visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain was used during the pre-procedure and post-procedure periods. RESULTS: Among the patients who underwent one level PLDD, 88 had L4-L5 levels, 5 had L5-S1 levels and 2 had L3-L4 levels. L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels were the most common two-level PLDD locations in seven patients. Five patients in our study subsequently underwent open surgical treatment. All patients reported immediate pain relief, which was sustained after the procedure. The average pre-procedure VAS score was 7.6 (range from 5 to 8.2) and the VAS score immediately after the procedure was on average 0.5 (ranging from 0 to 2). CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this initial experience using a combi-therapy of CT-guided PLDD and CT-guided epidural nerve block have shown the benefits of this novel approach, offering significant immediate pain relief in the post-procedural phase, favorable outcomes in the short to mid-term and a significantly reduced rate of re-surgery (7%) compared with the use of only CT-guided PLDD. Lasers Surg Med 00:1-5, 2019. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Short-duration post CT-guided thoracic biopsy monitoring- clinical experience with 440 patients.

PURPOSE: With several studies recording a higher percentage of complications in the first hour of post-biopsy, this study sought to evaluate the safety in the reduction in post-biopsy patient monitoring time after computed tomography (CT)-guided thoracic biopsies, providing a basis for further research. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study involving patients who were referred to our centre for CT-guided thoracic biopsies from January 2010 to December 2017. Patients who presented with no complications immediately after the post-biopsy CT scan were given 30 min of post-biopsy care after which they were discharged, and given a hot line to call in case of any complication. There was also a follow-up call by a nurse after 24 h to inquire about any complication and general condition of the patients. RESULTS: A total of 440 core needle thoracic biopsies were performed within the period of the study. The most common thoracic region indicated for biopsy was mediastinal (n = 240, 54.5%), followed by lung (n = 185, 42.0%). Complications were recorded at a rate of 6.4% (n = 28), with 4.1% (n = 18) been pneumothorax and pulmonary haemorrhage and haemoptysis accounting for 2.3% (n = 10). No relevant complications were recorded in patients who presented with no complications immediately after the post-biopsy CT scan (n = 374, 85%). CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this initial study have shown that thirty minutes of post-biopsy care could be sufficient for patients present with no complications immediately after a post-procedural scan in CT-guided thoracic biopsies; providing a basis for similar algorithms to be explored in a randomised control study to substantiate the observation.

Age-gender distribution of coronary artery calcium score in a black African population in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Distribution of coronary artery calcium (CAC) has been determined in different heterogeneous populations in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Based on findings showing that geography and culture can influence CAC scoring beyond traditional race groups, we determined the distribution of CAC in a homogenous black African population to provide an initial basis for a larger CAC score study in Africa. METHODS AND RESULTS: This is a preliminary study using computed tomography to determine the CAC scores within a black African population who were referred to our center. Other information on patients were recorded through a combination of one-on-one interviews and medical records. A total of 170 patients were involved in our study, including 60.6% males, with an average age of 53.9 ± 9.2 years. The majority (78.8%) had a zero calcium score, with patients within the age group of 55-64 years dominating the non-zero calcium score population. Males were found to have higher calcium levels compared to females, and coronary artery calcification and prevalence steadily rose with the increasing age. However, P-values of 0.328 and <0.001 were observed with distribution of CAC according to gender and age, respectively. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study showed that the distribution of CAC was markedly affected by the age of our study population, which will be more apparent in a larger study.