Journal of neurosurgery. Pediatrics
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J Neurosurg Pediatr · Oct 2016
Health-related quality of life outcomes and level of evidence in pediatric neurosurgery.
OBJECTIVE The emphasis on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes is increasing, along with an emphasis on evidence-based medicine. However, there is a notable paucity of validated HRQOL instruments for the pediatric population. Furthermore, no standardization or consensus currently exists concerning which HRQOL outcome measures ought to be used in pediatric neurosurgery. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS The frequency of studies using HRQOL outcomes in pediatric neurosurgical research has not increased over the past 10 years. Within pediatric neurosurgery, high-quality studies and standardization are lacking, as compared with contemporary studies in Pediatrics. In general, although the HOQ, HUI, PedsQL, and SF-36 instruments are emerging as standards in pediatric neurosurgery, even greater standardization across the specialty is needed, along with the design and implementation of more rigorous studies.
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J Neurosurg Pediatr · Oct 2016
Multicenter StudyEndoscopic third ventriculostomy in children: prospective, multicenter results from the Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network.
OBJECTIVE Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is now established as a viable treatment option for a subgroup of children with hydrocephalus. Here, the authors report prospective, multicenter results from the Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network (HCRN) to provide the most accurate determination of morbidity, complication incidence, and efficacy of ETV in children and to determine if intraoperative predictors of ETV success add substantially to preoperative predictors. METHODS All children undergoing a first ETV (without choroid plexus cauterization) at 1 of 7 HCRN centers up to June 2013 were included in the study and followed up for a minimum of 18 months. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS The authors' documented experience represents the most detailed account of ETV results in North America and provides the most accurate picture to date of ETV success and complications, based on contemporaneously collected prospective data. Serious complications with ETV are low. In addition to the ETVSS, visualization of a naked basilar artery is predictive of ETV success.
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J Neurosurg Pediatr · Oct 2016
Review Case ReportsManagement and outcome of spontaneous subaponeurotic fluid collections in infants: the Hospital for Sick Children experience and review of the literature.
OBJECTIVE Spontaneous subaponeurotic fluid collection (SSFC) is an uncommon and newly described entity of unknown etiology, observed in infants less than 1 year of age. The authors report on series of infants who presented to the Hospital for Sick Children (HSC) with SSFC, focusing on the natural history of this condition. METHODS Data from the Hospital for Sick Children were retrospectively reviewed for the period between January 2004 and June 2015. ⋯ Although the specific pathophysiology of SSFC remains unknown, in some cases the condition may be associated with a remote history of instrumented delivery. SSFC occurs spontaneously without immediate preceding trauma, and an extensive hematology or child abuse workup is not necessary. A conservative approach with outpatient follow-up is advocated.
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J Neurosurg Pediatr · Oct 2016
Comparative StudyComparison between an Ascenda and a silicone catheter in intrathecal baclofen therapy in pediatric patients: analysis of complications.
OBJECTIVE In this single-center study the authors investigated the complications occurring before and after the introduction of the new Ascenda intrathecal catheter (Medtronic Inc.) in pediatric patients treated with intrathecal baclofen therapy (ITB) for spasticity and/or dystonia. METHODS This was a retrospective review of 508 children who had received ITB, 416 with silicone catheters in the 13 years between September 1998 and September 2011 and 92 with Ascenda catheters in the 3 years between September 2011 and August 2014. The authors evaluated major complications such as infections, CSF leaks treated, and problems related to the catheter or pump, and they compared the 2 groups of patients who had received either a silicone catheter or an Ascenda catheter implant. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS To the authors' knowledge, this study is the first in the literature to compare the performance of the new Ascenda catheter, introduced in 2011, with the traditional silicone catheter for intrathecal drug infusion. In their analysis, the authors found that the Ascenda catheter can reduce major complications related to the catheter after ITB pump implantation. Further investigation is necessary to expand on and confirm their results.
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J Neurosurg Pediatr · Oct 2016
Multicenter StudyThirty-day outcomes after postnatal myelomeningocele repair: a National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric database analysis.
OBJECTIVE Due to improved nutrition and early detection, myelomeningocele repair is a relatively uncommon procedure. Although previous studies have reviewed surgical trends and predictors of outcomes, they have relied largely on single-hospital experiences or on databases centered on hospital admission data. Here, the authors report 30-day outcomes of pediatric patients undergoing postnatal myelomeningocele repair from a national prospective surgical outcomes database. ⋯ In this cohort, over one-quarter of patients undergoing postnatal myelomeningocele repair experienced a complication within 30 days. The complication rate was significantly higher in patients who had surgical repair within the first 24 hours of birth than in patients who had surgery after the 1st day of life. The authors also highlight limitations of investigating myelomeningocele repair using NSQIP-P and advocate the importance of disease-specific data collection.