Simple Transposition Technique for Microvascular Decompression Using an Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene “Belt”: Technical Note

• Published in: Neurologia medico-chirurgica Vol. 54; no. 6; pp. 483 - 485
• Main Authors: TANAKA, Yuichiro, UCHIDA, Masashi, ONODERA, Hidetaka, HIRAMOTO, Jun, YOSHIDA, Yasuyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Japan Neurosurgical Society 01.01.2014
• Subjects: Dura Mater - surgery; Equipment Design; expanded polytetrafluoroethylene; Granuloma - prevention & control; hemifacial spasm; Hemifacial Spasm - surgery; Humans; Intraoperative Complications - prevention & control; microvascular decompression; Microvascular Decompression Surgery - instrumentation; Microvascular Decompression Surgery - methods; Nerve Compression Syndromes - surgery; Polytetrafluoroethylene; Postoperative Complications - prevention & control; Prostheses and Implants; Technical Note; Tissue Adhesions - prevention & control; transposition; Trigeminal Neuralgia - surgery; Vertebral Artery
• ISSN: 0470-8105; 1349-8029
• DOI: 10.2176/nmc.tn2012-0296

Microvascular decompression (MVD) is a standard surgical procedure for treating vascular compression syndromes. There are two basic ways to perform MVD: interposition using a prosthesis and transposition. With the transposition technique, adhesions and granuloma around the decompression site are avoided, but the required operation is more complex than that for the interposition method. We describe a simple, quick MVD transposition procedure that uses a small “belt” cut from a sheet of 0.3-mm-thick expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane. The belt has a hole at the wide end and the other end tapered to a point. The belt is encircled around offending vessels by inserting the pointed end into the hole. The pointed end is then passed through a dural tunnel over the posterior wall of the petrous bone and is tied two or three times. This method avoids the risks involved in handling a surgical needle close to the cranial nerves and vessels.