World Neurosurg
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Review Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Comparision of results between posterior fossa decompression with and without duraplasty for the surgical treatment of Chiari malformation Type I：a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Posterior fossa decompression without (PFD) or with duraplasty (PFDD) for the treatment of type 1 Chiari malformation (CM-1) is controversial. We thus performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies to assess the effect on clinical and imaging improvement, operative time, complications, and recurrence rate between PFD and PFDD in patients with CM-1. ⋯ PFDD can be an optimal surgical strategy because of its higher clinical improvement and lower recurrence rate in the patients with syringomyelia. In patients without syringomyelia, PFD can be a preferred choice because of its similar clinical improvement and lower costs. Future randomized studies with large numbers and the power to provide illumination for surgical decision making in CM-1 are warranted.
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Review Meta Analysis
Epidural steroids at closure post-microdiscectomy/laminectomy for reduction of post-operative analgesia: systematic review and meta-analysis.
This review assessed the efficacy of epidural steroid administration on the reduction of pain, hospital stay time, and use of opioid analgesics postoperatively. ⋯ Intraoperative or perioperative epidural administration of steroids offers significant benefits in terms of pain control, reduction in LOS, and use of postoperative opioid analgesia. Before steroids are routinely used by spinal surgeons, however, significantly more research is required. A particular emphasis should be placed on quality study protocols and data recording, to allow for more thorough analyses in the future.