Pallidotomy: A survey of current practice in North America

Jacques Favre, Jamal M. Taha, Tung T. Nguyen, Philip L. Gildenberg, Kim J. Burchiel

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79 Scopus citations

Abstract

TWENTY-EIGHT CENTERS COMPLETED a survey about their current practice of pallidotomy. This sample represents a non-exhaustive survey of the current practice of pallidotomy in North America and is not a study of outcomes. 1015 patients underwent 1219 pallidotomies: 811 (80%) unilateral, 72 (7%) staged bilateral, and 132 (13%) simultaneous bilateral. Pallidotomy has long been an accepted procedure and the indications for this surgery, in the opinion of the responding centers, were rated on a scale of 1 (poor) to 4 (excellent) and demonstrated dyskinesia as the best indication (median =4); on-off fluctuations, dystonia, rigidity, and bradykinesia as good indications (median =3); and freezing, tremor and gait disturbances as fair indications (median =2). Most centers used MRI alone (50%) or in combination with CT scan (n=6) or ventriculography (n=5) to localize the target. The median values of pallidal coordinates were: 2 mm anterior to the midcommissural point, 21 mm lateral to the midsagittal plane and 5 mm below the intercommissural line. Microrecording was performed by half of the centers (n=14) and half of the remaining centers were considering starting it (n=7). Main criteria used to define the target included the firing pattern of spontaneous neuronal discharges (n=13) and the response to joint movement (n=10). Most centers performed motor (n=26) and visual (n=23) macrostimulation. Twenty four centers performed test lesions using median values of 55 °C temperatures for 30 s. Final lesions consisted of 3 permanent lesions placed 2 mm apart, each lesion created with median values of 75 °C temperatures for 1 minute. Median hospital stay was 2 days.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)883-892
Number of pages10
JournalNeurosurgery
Volume39
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 1996

Keywords

  • Microrecording
  • Movement disorders
  • Pallidotomy
  • Parkinson's disease
  • Survey

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Surgery
  • Clinical Neurology

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