ROLE OF PREOPERATIVE EMBOLIZATION IN BONE TUMORS- A case control study

Preoperative embolization of bone tumor is a minimally invasive angiographic intervention technique and effective adjuvant treatment option for bone tumors. In 1975, Feldman was the rst to use the pre-operative arterial embolization technique to downstage the vascularity of bone tumors, thus reducing blood loss during surgery. Surgery remains the mainstay treatment option for bone tumors. Embolization reduces tumor vascularity and hence decreases intraoperative blood loss and intraoperative blood transfusion. It enables more accurate delineation of tissue planes during surgery, resulting in complete removal of the bone tumor. The most frequent bone tumors that typically need preoperative embolization are those difcult to operate on because of their huge size, high degree of vascularity, proximity to critical tissues, or difcult surgical access. PVA particles are regarded as a workhorse in preoperative transarterial embolization and thus used commonly as an embolizing agent. It is safe procedure and therefore can be used as part of the multidisciplinary approach to the management highly vascular bone tumors.