Background and Goal of Study: Percutaneous epidural adhesiolysis (PEAL) is commonly employed in patients with chronic low back (LB) and lower extremity (LE) pain. In the past, PEAL was most frequently utilized in failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). However, there is an increasing trend of its application in non-surgical back pain patients, such as those suffering from spinal stenosis (SS) and/or lumbar radiculopathy (LR). PEAL basis is epidural lysis of adhesions and neurolysis of vertebral nerve roots, coupled with local lavage of pro-inflammatory mediators through high volume injection. The most frequent PEAL complications are: unintentional dural puncture; administration of drugs to the subarachnoid/subdural space; catheter shearing; infection; and severe hemodynamic instability during application. We aimed to investigate PEAL complications rates in patients with chronic LB and LE pain treated at our Department's One-day Surgery Clinic. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, we reviewed medical records of 74 one-day PEAL procedures performed between January 1, 2016, and January 1, 2017. Results: A total of 48 (65%) female patients, aged from 23 to 87 years (median 55), underwent one-day PEAL procedure. Occurring immediately, the procedure related complication rate of 0.04% was observed, complementary to catheter shearing in all of the reported cases. Furthermore, drug administration affiliated complication rate of 0.05%, depicted as transient partial sensomotoric deficit showing at later onset, was observed. Conclusion: Despite the fact infrequent PEAL complications occur due to the procedure itself or specific drugs-related side effects, we believe minimally invasive PEAL procedure should be considered as a safe choice treatment option for patients with chronic lumbosacral radicular pain.


06 / Complications during percutaneous epidural adhesiolysis for treatment of chronic low back and lower extremity pain