Intraoperative epidural application of steroid and local anaesthetic agent following lumbar discectomy: A prospective double blinded randomized controlled trial.

Background: Postoperative pain management following lumbar discectomy is a key part of the procedure and various postoperative pain protocols including a wide range of agents are being used in daily practice worldwide. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of intraoperative epidural infiltration of local anaesthetic and steroid compared with placebo (normal saline) following microscopic lumbar discectomy.

Methods: Sixty patients undergoing lumbar discectomy were randomized to intraoperative infiltration of 3 mg betamethoasone acetate and 18 mg ropivacaine (Group A) or normal saline (Group B).

Late-onset spondylodiscitis and psoas abscess, 5 years after percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty: a case report.

Postoperative infection following percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty (PBK) is a rare complication and delayed onset infection is very rare. We report the case of a 62-year-old male, who developed spondylodiscitis and psoas abscess 5 years after two-level, L2 and L3 PBK. He was initially treated with abscess aspiration and long term antimicrobial treatment.

Complete Heart Block in a Diabetic Patient with a Preexisting LBBB and Normal Coronaries, Paradoxically Responding to Atropine.

We present a case of a complete atrioventricular block (AV block) with different aberrancy patterns during sinus rhythm and escape rhythm. A 66-year-old woman visited our emergency department complaining of sudden onset dizziness and fatigue over the past thirty minutes. Her medical history was remarkable for arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hypothyroidism.

Predictive value of Tokuhashi and Tomita scores in patients with metastatic spine disease.

Objective: Our aim was to determine the best preoperative prognostic score to safely propose operative intervention for patients with metastatic spinal disease.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included 52 consecutive patients who underwent surgery between 1997 and 2007 to alleviate pain and preserve or restore neurological function. All patients were prospectively evaluated with the Tokuhashi score and retrospectively with the Tomita score to compare their surgery indications.