Journal of neurosurgery. Spine
-
Comparative Study
Does prior short-segment surgery for adult scoliosis impact perioperative complication rates and clinical outcome among patients undergoing scoliosis correction?
In many adults with scoliosis, symptoms can be principally referable to focal pathology and can be addressed with short-segment procedures, such as decompression with or without fusion. A number of patients subsequently require more extensive scoliosis correction. However, there is a paucity of data on the impact of prior short-segment surgeries on the outcome of subsequent major scoliosis correction, which could be useful in preoperative counseling and surgical decision making. The authors' objective was to assess whether prior focal decompression or short-segment fusion of a limited portion of a larger spinal deformity impacts surgical parameters and clinical outcomes in patients who subsequently require more extensive scoliosis correction surgery. ⋯ Patients with adult scoliosis and a history of short-segment spine surgery who later undergo more extensive scoliosis correction do not appear to have significantly different complication rates or clinical improvements as compared with patients who have not had prior short-segment surgical procedures. These findings should serve as a basis for future prospective study.
-
Effective surgical obliteration of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) traditionally requires laminectomy or hemilaminectomy to allow intradural exposure and occlusion of the draining vein. The authors present successful treatment of a spinal DAVF by using a tubular retractor system to provide minimally invasive exposure at the L5-S1 level adequate for both microsurgical treatment and intraoperative indocyanine green angiography.
-
In most cases of lumbar disc herniation, the primary problem is usually limited to radicular pain due to nerve compression on the herniated side, which is generally limited to the side of operation. The aim of this study was to reevaluate the side of the surgical approach in a selected group of patients with leg pain and contralateral lumbar disc herniation. ⋯ The findings confirm that performing a laminotomy via the side of the herniation is sufficient for this group of patients.
-
Editorial Comment
Editorial: symptoms versus magnetic resonance imaging.
-
The authors present the case of an isolated gonococcal paravertebral abscess with an epidural component in a 42-year-old man. A primary epidural abscess of the spine is a rare condition and is most commonly caused by Staphylococcus aureus. In this report, the authors present their therapeutic decisions and review the relevant literature on disseminated gonococcal infection in a patient presenting with an epidural abscess. ⋯ Further investigations showed that he was negative for other sexually transmitted infections. Postoperatively, he received a course of beta-lactam antibiotics with good recovery. Clinicians should be aware of this unusual disseminated gonococcal infection manifested in any patient with the relevant risk factors.