Use of self-closing U-clips for dural repair in mini-invasive surgery for herniated disc.

OBJECT

The feasibility of a new technique of dural repair (self-closing U-clips) in mini-invasive surgery for herniated disk is demonstrated in this case report.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A 44-year-old male patient underwent lumbar microdiscectomy at out Institute, with subsequent dural leak as surgical complication; the dural leak re-appeared even after a second intervention in which we used muscle and dural graft and fibrin glue to repair the leak. We then decided to employ self-closing nitinol- U-clip to achieve primary dural closure.

RESULTS

After the intervention the patient no more presented signs or symptoms due to the unintended durotomy, and the postoperative course was uneventful.

CONCLUSION

Self-closing nitinol U-clips (Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis) can be used for closing a dural tear through a mini-invasive approach that could make a conventional microsuturing technique very difficult.