Untersuchung zur Anwendbarkeit der Argon-Plasma-Koagulation (APC) in einem Modellversuch für neurochirurgische Operationen

Plasma coagulation is used in different surgical operative settings, but its application in neurosurgery is hampered by the lack of knowledge concerning nervous tissue reaction to this type of coagulation. An experimental investigation for the precise assessment of the kind and extent of tissue damage was established by designing a standardised trial investigating the effects of helium (argon) plasma coagulation – H(A)PC - on rat brain tissue. The tissue reactions were observed with common methods of morphology including immunohistology. A time dependent profile of the tissue reactions was generated from one to six weeks after surgery. The tissue reaction consisted of clearly demarcated concentric zones. The initial depth of the lesion was about 1 mm maximally. Reparative forces acted both in the different layers and at the edges and in the center of the damage. The various layers of the lesion all contribute to the organisation with different mechanisms of reparation; this observation may help to understand different aspects of reparative reactions in nerval tissue. This study has demonstrated that H(A)PC generates a clearly demarcated and reproducible small lesion in rat brain tissue. As in other areas of surgery, this technique has proven to be minimally traumatic. Clinical application of this technique in neurosurgery is therefore promising. In addition, H(A)PC lesions are obviously suited for morphological studies of early and late reparative reactions in cells and tissues.