World Neurosurg
-
Review Meta Analysis
Risk factors for surgical site infection following spinal surgery: A meta-analysis.
Surgical-site infection (SSI) after spinal surgery is the most common complication, which results in greater morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Identifying risk factors of SSI is an important point for preventive strategies to reduce the incidence of SSI. The aim of this meta-analysis is to investigate the most important risk factors for SSI after spinal surgery. ⋯ Diabetes, prolonged operative times (>3 hours), body mass index more than 35, posterior approach, and number of intervertebral levels (≥7) are associated with an increased risk of SSI after spinal surgery. Almost all these risk factors are in line with the known risk factors for SSI in patients who underwent spinal surgery.
-
Vitamin D deficiency is a relatively common occurrence in patients presenting for spinal surgery; however, whether this abnormality has any effect on spinal fusion outcomes remains unclear. We performed a systematic review of the available literature relevant to the association between vitamin D deficiency and spinal fusion outcomes. ⋯ The literature suggests that patients presenting for spinal fusion may benefit from correction of vitamin D deficiency to maximize the chance of a successful arthrodesis and to achieve optimal surgical outcomes. Future prospective studies are needed to determine whether routine preoperative treatment of this metabolic derangement is warranted.
-
The surgical management of epilepsy after penetrating gunshot wounds (GSWs) to the head has not been described in the modern era. Given the extensive damage to the cranium and cortex from such injuries, the safety and efficacy of surgical intervention are unclear. We report surgical strategy and outcomes after resection for medically refractory epilepsy following GSWs in 4 patients. ⋯ Epilepsy is common after penetrating head injury, and the incidence is likely to increase given the growing numbers of armed conflicts in urban centers worldwide. In selected cases, intracranial monitoring and surgical resections may be safely performed and can lead to favorable seizure outcomes.
-
The accurate histologic diagnosis of germ cell tumors in the pineal region is a keystone for determining the best treatment strategy and prognosis. This situation poses a challenge for the neuropathologist, considering the lack of a standarized procedure to obtain biopsy samples, which results in few and small specimens, which are not suitable for diagnosis. ⋯ The supraorbital frontal endoscopic approach enables the surgeon to perform histologic mapping of pineal region tumors, allowing standarization of the procedure used to obtain the specimens. This approach could result in a more accurate diagnosis, especially in mixed germ cell neoplasms.