Re: Prostate Implant Techniques

[Chris Alston <alstonc@odrge.odr.georgetown.edu>]

>X-Authentication-Warning: isnet.is.bgsm.edu: [152.11.173.7] didn't use HELO
>                         protocol
>X-Sender: deguzman@bgsm.edu
>Date:         Tue, 28 Jul 1998 14:38:23 -0400
>Reply-To: Medical Physics Mailing List <MEDPHYS@LISTS.WAYNE.EDU>
>Sender: Medical Physics Listserver <medphys@cwis-20.wayne.edu>
>From: deguzman@BGSM.EDU
>Subject:      Re: Prostate Implant Techniques
>To: MEDPHYS@LISTS.WAYNE.EDU
>
>At 02:07 PM 7/28/98 -0400, you wrote:
>>Right now, we are preplanning prostate implants and using preloaded
>>needles.
>>
>>We move the US probe and implant plane by plane, from base to apex.
>>
>>An MD suggested inserting all the needles to the depth of the base
>>plane.  This would require some needles to have spacers loaded at the
>>tip.
>>
>>Has anyone tried this, and if so, what do they think of the idea??
>>
>
>Chris (and others),
>
>It doesn't sound like a very good idea to me (but what do *I* know).
>Actually since the prostate is sort of round, the lateral needles should not
>go to all the way to the base (there is no prostate tissue there).  If you
>were to put all the needles to the base you would be causing un-necessary
>punctures to the tissue beyond the prostate.  You would also be introducing
>"extra" foreign bodies into the prostate (all the spacers), which couldn't
>be good.  Most of the spacers (if pushed beyond the prostate) would end up
>in the pt's bladder and would end up being urinated out (ouch) or taken out
>during the post implant cysto (if performed).  Either way it seems like
>there is no benifit to doing it this way.  Any other comments????
>
>Al
>
>P.S.  The spacers are also 0.55 cm long while the seeds are 0.45 cm long.
>If you add *multiple* spacers in the beginning of a needle (or in the
>middle) you can alter the desired 1 cm spacing most people use for implants.
>
>                    *****
>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Medphys at:
>http://www.mindspring.com/~sherouse/MPFAQ/
>
>Archives of recent Medphys postings at:
>http://www.escribe.com/medicine/medphys/
>
Chris Alston
alstonc@odrge.odr.georgetown.edu
I am not here a representative of my employer.

************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html