title: A novel use of foley catheters to prevent injury to the pelvic viscera during stereotactic radiosurgery for undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma of the sacrum.
abstract: The use of a Foley catheter to protect the small and large bowel from radiation injury during stereotactic radiosurgery to the spine has not previously been described in the surgical literature. Many spine tumors should be treated with stereotactic radiosurgery as opposed to external beam therapy, yet the proximity of visceral organs may preclude adequate target delivery of radiation. We describe the novel use of Foley catheters placed intraoperatively to displace the bowel during stereotactic radiosurgery, allowing for a full radiation dose to be safely delivered to the tumor. The advantages of this technique are the low cost, the ability to place multiple catheters intraoperatively, and the ability to withdraw all the catheters after radiation without the need for reoperation.
authors.affiliation: President of the Northern California Chapter of the American College of Surgeons and a General Surgeon at Marin General Hospital in CA. maaj@maringeneral.org.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maa
authors.affiliation: Resident Physician at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center. stephen.waterford@ucsfmedctr.org.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Waterford
authors.affiliation: Professor of Oncology at the University of California, San Francisco. thierry.jahan@ucsfmedctr.org.
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jahan
authors.affiliation: Professor in Radiation Oncology at the University of California, San Francisco. DLarson@radonc.ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of California, San Francisco. choud@neurosurg.ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Dean
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000379:methods*; D012447:Sacrum / Q000601:surgery*; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000601:surgery*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D014546:Urinary Catheterization
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