Hiroshima journal of medical sciences
-
Hiroshima J. Med. Sci. · Sep 2003
Trans-vertebral regional cooling for spinal cord protection during thoracoabdominal aortic surgery: an experimental study.
We developed a simple cooling method for spinal cord protection against ischemic injury during aortic surgery. The neuroprotective effects of our method were investigated using an animal study. Selective spinal hypothermia was produced by means of originally-designed cooling pads placed over the lower thoracic and lumbar vertebral column. ⋯ Histopathologic study revealed that ischemic injury of the lumbar cord was reduced in the animals undergoing hypothermia. Trans-vertebral regional cooling reduced ischemic spinal cord injury in a canine study. The current method is potentially feasible for clinical use, especially in view of its technical simplicity and few procedure-related complications.