An abdominal spacer that does not require surgical removal and allows drainage of abdominal fluids in patients undergoing carbon ion radiotherapy

PLoS One. 2020 Jun 10;15(6):e0234471. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234471. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

Abdominal spacers are useful for maintaining the distance between the target tumors and surrounding tissues, such as the gastrointestinal tract, in patients treated with carbon ion radiotherapy. Surgical intervention to remove the spacers is sometimes necessary because of abdominal infections triggered by long-term spacer placement or intestinal perforation. Therefore, spacers that do not require surgical removal and provide effective drainage against abdominal infections are urgently needed. This study aimed to develop a spacer that could be removed non-surgically and one that provides the therapeutic effect of drainage in patients who receive carbon ion radiotherapy for abdominal tumors. A novel fan-shaped spacer was constructed from a film drain that was folded along the trigger line. Simple withdrawal of the trigger line caused the film drain to fold and the holding lines to become free. We performed laparoscopy-assisted insertion with pneumoperitoneum and blind removal of the spacer fourteen times using a porcine model. Saline in the abdominal cavity was effectively aspirated using the spacer. Our novel fan-shaped spacer could be removed safely without surgery and was able to drain fluid effectively from the abdominal cavity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abdomen / physiopathology
  • Abdominal Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Abdominal Neoplasms / surgery
  • Animals
  • Catheters*
  • Drainage / instrumentation
  • Drainage / methods*
  • Heavy Ion Radiotherapy / methods*
  • Swine

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS); grant number 18K07665 to TY. The work was also supported in part by Research Grant of the Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund, Suzuken Memorial Foundation, and Pancreas Research Foundation of Japan.