In 2017, a surgeon in Gap operated on Eliane Bernard to relieve her of a herniated disc. For this, he uses a new technique: disc cementoplasty. In France, the classic method of cementoplasty is well known, it has been used in the vertebrae since the 1980s.

An experimental technique not validated

“The goal of vertebral cementoplasty is to put cement in a broken vertebra to quickly reduce pain, to prevent loss of height of the vertebra and eventually to protect a vertebra that is at risk of fracturing because it has an injury. “, explains Dr Julien Cohen-Solal, rheumatologist.

This technique is recent and practiced by very few teams. “It’s something totally experimental. It must be evaluated, that the person is informed of the innovative nature of the technique, of the absence of hindsight from this technique and accepts to participate in the evaluation of this technique, this is called a protocol “, specifies Julien Cohen-Solal.

Without a protocol, the technique is not recognized for the moment. When questioned, the French Society for Spine Surgery estimated “that in the current state of knowledge, the technique should be considered as not validated in France. ”

A collective of a hundred victims

Following her disc cementoplasty, Eliane Bernard experienced complications. She had to be operated again to remove a cement leak that was compressing a nerve but her pain persisted. “I still tell myself this surgeon he hit hard, apparently I’m not the only one, we are a hundred people in my case and there are some who are on wheelchairs, well I’m not complaining eh, I supports “.

With a dozen other patients, Eliane and her daughter decided to form a collective and take the surgeon to court. They accuse him of not having informed them of the experimental nature and the risks of the operation.

Forensic expertise is in progress to assess the legality of the technique. The surgeon has for the moment been suspended from his functions.