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Experience to prevent wire tethering in deep brain stimulation from a single center
Dongliang Wang1, Jiayu Liu1, Qingpei Hao1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
Neurological Research
|July 2, 2021
Summary
Wire tethering, a rare complication in deep brain stimulation (DBS), significantly decreased after implementing improved surgical techniques. Further material innovation can enhance prevention of this serious hardware issue.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Devices
Background:
- Wire tethering is a potential hardware complication in deep brain stimulation (DBS).
- Understanding its causes is crucial for improving patient safety and device longevity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence and causes of wire tethering in DBS procedures.
- To identify strategies for preventing wire tethering complications.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 70 patients (140 electrodes) undergoing DBS from September 2017 to December 2019.
- Categorization of wire tethering into mild, moderate, and severe.
- Comparison of tethering rates between an initial and a late surgical period.
Main Results:
- Overall wire tethering frequency decreased from 31.3% in the initial period to 13% in the late period.
- Frequencies of mild, moderate, and severe tethering all showed reductions in the later period.
- No severe wire tethering cases were observed in the late period.
Conclusions:
- Wire tethering is a rare but serious complication in DBS that warrants attention.
- Improvements in surgical technique for extension wire implantation can reduce tethering.
- Development of novel materials for extension wire coverings may offer further prevention.
