World Neurosurg
-
No established standard of care currently exists for the postoperative management of patients with surgically resected pituitary adenomas. Our objective was to quantify the efficacy of a postoperative stepdown unit protocol for reducing patient cost. ⋯ These results suggest that use of a postoperative stepdown unit could result in a 12.5% savings for eligible patients undergoing treatment of pituitary tumors by shifting patients to a less acute unit without worsened surgical outcomes. Historical controls indicate that over half of all pituitary patients would be eligible. Further refinement of patient selection for less costly perioperative management may reduce cost burden for the health care system and patients.
-
To describe the foramen magnum angle (FMA) as a new parameter for basilar invagination (BI) type B. ⋯ The FMA had an optimal diagnostic value that provided complementary evidence to investigate BI type B.
-
Before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, medical students training in neurosurgery relied on external subinternships at institutions nationwide for immersive educational experiences and to increase their odds of matching. However, external rotations for the 2020-2021 cycle were suspended given concerns of spreading COVID-19. Our objective was to provide foundational neurosurgical knowledge expected of interns, bootcamp-style instruction in basic procedures, and preinterview networking opportunities for students in an accessible, virtual format. ⋯ Feedback on seminar quality and improvements in confidence in neurosurgical topics suggest that an interactive virtual course may be an effective means of improving students' foundational neurosurgical knowledge and providing networking opportunities before application cycles. Comparison with in-person rotations when these are reestablished may help define roles for these tools.
-
A shorter door-to-puncture time is an independent predictor of good clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) who undergo mechanical thrombectomy (MT). We recently initiated a protocol for direct care from neurointerventionalists (NIs) in the emergency department (ED) rather than from non-NI neurologists for patients with AIS. Our aim was to investigate whether NIs, as the first point-of-care physicians for stroke in the ED, could shorten door-to-puncture time compared to non-NI neurologists. ⋯ Our study showed that NIs, as the first point-of-care stroke physicians in the ED, were associated with shorter door-to-puncture times. We suggest that NIs should be at the forefront of care for patients with AIS in the acute setting by performing triage and deciding on and performing MT.
-
Despite its widespread use, much is left to understand about the repercussions of parent artery temporary clipping in neurosurgery. This study seeks a better comprehension of the subject by aiming at the online measurement of brain tissue oxygen pressure (PbtO2) during such events. ⋯ The effects of temporary arterial occlusion on temporal lobe oxygenation demonstrate a high degree of singularity, highlighting the potential benefits of assessing individual available collateral circulation intraoperatively. The "PbtO2 steepest slope" predicted the severity of PbtO2 decrease and was available within the first minute.