World Neurosurg
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Multicenter Study
Venous Thromboembolism After Degenerative Spine Surgery: A Nationwide Readmissions Database Analysis.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is an appreciable burden on health care. The protracted recumbency experienced by many spinal patients juxtaposed with concerns for postoperative hemorrhage from early anticoagulation results in conflicting stances regarding chemoprophylaxis. Identifying risk factors associated with VTE is therefore instrumental in guiding management. ⋯ The incidence of readmission with VTE diagnoses in spine surgery is low. However, their devastating consequences underscore the need to identify those patients deemed high risk. These patients include those having thoracolumbar surgery, of advanced age, with prolonged length of stay, using corticosteroids, and with a disposition to institutional care (e.g., skilled nursing facility or long-term acute care). Given the association between steroids and VTE, clinicians should be judicious about perioperative administration despite their obvious antiinflammatory benefits.
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The incidence of meningiomas increases with increasing age. Because the median age for the diagnosis is 65 years, the patients' general health condition, comorbidities, and procedural risks will influence the postoperative functional outcomes. The aim of our study was to assess the long-term impairments of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after meningioma resection in different age groups of elderly patients. ⋯ Our findings suggest that Karnofsky performance scale and American Society of Anesthesiologists scores have a strong effect on long-term HRQOL, especially for older patients after meningioma resection. These data should be a substantial consideration in the preoperative decision-making process.
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To evaluate the safety and accuracy of use of a 3-dimensional printed navigation template in the placement of a cortical bone trajectory (CBT) screw in the middle-upper thoracic spine. ⋯ In this cadaver study, insertion of the CBT screws in the middle-upper thoracic spine with the assistance of the navigation template was safe and convenient.
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Comparative Study
Dissociation between 11C-methionine-PET and Gd-MRI in the longitudinal features of Glioblastoma after postoperative radiotherapy.
The aims of the present study were to compare the longitudinal changes of glioblastoma multiforme after radiotherapy (RT) between 11C-methionine positron emission tomography (MET-PET) and gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to clarify whether these changes were predictive of survival. We included 30 patients, who had undergone MET-PET and Gd-MRI before and every 3 months after RT. The lesion/normal brain uptake (L/N) ratio and contrast-enhancing lesion volume were examined. ⋯ The variation rates of the L/N ratio between pre-RT and 3 months differentiated survival of >23 months from ≤23 months. A dissociation could exist in the longitudinal changes of GBM after RT between MET-PET and Gd-MRI. The variation rate of the L/N ratio could be related to survival.
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To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of microsurgical clipping and endovascular embolization for the treatment of middle cerebral artery aneurysm (MCAA). ⋯ Both microsurgical clipping and endovascular embolization were safe and effective methods for the treatment of MCAA, but patients with ruptured MCAAs treated with endovascular embolization were more likely to experience recurrence.