Neurosurgery
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Resective surgery established treatment for pharmacoresistant frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE), but seizure outcome and prognostic indicators are poorly characterized and vary between studies. ⋯ Surgical resection in drug-resistant FLE can be a successful therapeutic approach, even in the absence of neuroradiologically visible lesions. SEEG may be highly useful in both nonlesional and lesional FLE cases, because complete resection of the EZ as defined by SEEG is associated with better prognosis.
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Spine Surgery in the Ambulatory Surgery Center Setting: Value-Based Advancement or Safety Liability?
Here, we systematically review clinical studies that report morbidity and outcomes data for cervical and lumbar surgeries performed in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). We focus on anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), posterior cervical foraminotomy, cervical arthroplasty, lumbar microdiscectomy, lumbar laminectomy, and minimally invasive transforaminal interbody fusion (TLIF) and lateral lumbar interbody fusion, as these are prevalent and surgical spine procedures that are becoming more commonly performed in ASC settings. A systematic search of PubMed was conducted, using combinations of the following phrases: "outpatient," "ambulatory," or "ASC" with "anterior cervical discectomy fusion," "ACDF," "cervical arthroplasty," "lumbar," "microdiscectomy," "laminectomy," "transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion," "spine surgery," or "TLIF."In reviewing the available literature to date, there is ample level 3 (retrospective comparisons) and level 4 (case series) evidence to support both the safety and effectiveness of outpatient cervical and lumbar surgery. While no level 1 or 2 (randomized clinical trials) evidence currently exists, the plethora of real-world clinical data creates a formidable argument for serious investments in ASCs for multiple spine procedures.
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Historically, survival for even highly select cohorts of brain metastasis patients selected for SRS alone is <2 yr; thus, limited literature on risks of recurrence exists beyond 2 yr. ⋯ Relapse rates beyond 2 yr following SRS alone for brain metastases are low in patients who do not suffer intracranial relapse within the first 2 yr and with low-volume brain metastases, supporting a practice of less frequent screening beyond 2 yr. For remaining patients, frequent (every 3-4 mo) screening remains prudent, as the risk of intracranial failure after 2 yr remains high.
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The diagnosis-specific graded prognostic assessment scale (ds-GPA) for patients with melanoma brain metastasis (BM) utilizes only 2 key prognostic variables: Karnofsky performance status and the number of intracranial metastases. We wished to determine whether inclusion of cumulative intracranial tumor volume (CITV) into the ds-GPA model for melanoma augmented its prognostic value. ⋯ The prognostic value of the ds-GPA scale for melanoma BM is enhanced by the incorporation of CITV.
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Preoperative opioid use is widespread and associated with worse patient-reported outcomes following spine surgery. ⋯ Minimum and maximum MEA doses exist, between which increasing opioid dose is associated with decreased ability to achieve clinically meaningful improvement following spine surgery. Patients with preoperative MEA dose exceeding 29 mg/d, the lower limit of the 95% credible interval for the mean MEA dose above which patients exhibit significantly decreased achievement of MCID, may be considered for preoperative opioid weaning.