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instantaneous, with about 90% of patients experiencing clinically significant pain relief following ablation and cementing. OsteoCool can impact pain significantly." COMPLEMENTARY TREATMENTS T y pi c a l l y a s a m e - d a y p r o c e d u r e , OsteoCool combined with kyphoplasty begins with ablation of the vertebral tumor. For each level of the spine to be treated, the surgeon, working through cannulas, inserts two RF ablation probes through the pedicle into the front of the bone. "I have several RF probe options from which to choose, depending on the size of the tumor and how much I'm trying to ablate, which allows me to control the size of the burn area," Dr. Sather says. "A cooling catheter attached to the probe prevents it from overheating and stabi- lizes the temperature so there aren't rapid increases and decreases, depending on the consistency of the tissue. The temperature remains constant, at around 70 degrees. An algorithm takes into account the tem- perature and impedance of the tissue and the size of the tumor receiving treatment." The probe's temperature regulation and cooling capabilities reduce the risk of damage to surrounding tissue. Once the ablation is f inished, the surgeon inserts cement into the empty space in the bone under X-ray guidance. In select cases, intraoperative CT or Medtronic's StealthStation surgical navigation system can be used during the procedure to assist with successful, and safe, completion. Dr. Sather is impressed with the out- comes of patients who have undergone OsteoCool and kyphoplasty but believes this treatment is underutilized, given its potential to provide pain relief in a minimally invasive fashion. "OsteoCool meshes well with an over- arching movement in spine surgery over the past several years to do as much as we can in a less invasive fashion," Dr. Sather says. " Th is t reat ment i ncor porates technologies that we're already using, such as stereotactic surgery, surgica l navigation and robotics. We're helping patients avoid spinal destabilization and bigger operations. As more clinicians realize OsteoCool is an option for their patients, I think we'll be performing even more of these procedures." Fo r m o re i nfo r m a t i o n a b o u t th e Penn State Spine Center's capabilities, visit hmc.pennstatehealth.org/spine or call 717-531-3767. n " More clinicians need to know that the OsteoCool RF Ablation System is available. It's minimally invasive, and a great way to treat painful spinal metastases while avoiding the complications and comorbidities of worsened vertebral collapse, such as neurological dysfunction." — MICHAEL SATHER, MD, FAANS, DIRECTOR OF EPILEPSY SURGERY AT PENN STATE HEALTH NEUROSURGERY AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF NEUROSURGERY AT PENN STATE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S C E N T R A l P E N N S y lvA N I A ■ 2 0 21 1 3