World Neurosurg
-
Inequitable access to surgical care is most conspicuous in low-income countries (LICs), such as Ethiopia, where infectious diseases, malnutrition, and other maladies consume the lion's share of the available health resources. The aim of this article was to provide an update on the current state of neurosurgery in Ethiopia and identify targets for future development of surgical capacity as a universal health coverage component in this East African nation. ⋯ Ethiopian neurosurgery exemplifies the profound effect of international partnerships for training local surgeons on progress in low-income countries toward improved neurosurgical capacity. Collaborations that focus on increasing the neurosurgical workforce should synchronize with efforts to enhance the availability of diagnostic and surgical equipment necessary for basic neurosurgical care.
-
The objective of the present study was to describe and evaluate the feasibility, mobility, and surface area provided by the simple and extended transorbital pericranial flap (TOPF). Furthermore, we compared this novel technique with the current practice of pericranial flap harvesting and insetting techniques. We also studied the adequacy of the TOPF in the reconstruction of postoperative anterior cranial fossa (ACF) defects. ⋯ The TOPF represents a novel harvesting, tunneling, and insetting technique that offers a large, versatile, pedicled flap for coverage of most standard ACF defects after endoscopic surgery.
-
Few studies have evaluated the cost burden borne by neurosurgical patients in the developing world and their potential implications for efficient and effective delivery of care. This study aims to assess the cost associated with obtaining pediatric neurosurgical care in a hospital in Kaduna. ⋯ The mean cost of pediatric neurosurgical procedures in our setting is $895.99, which is 40.18% of our gross domestic product per capita. The main drivers of cost are the cost of operation, investigations, and intensive care unit length of stay.
-
Most microsurgical instrument designs concentrate on manipulating the targeted tissue more than the detailed design of the user's hand. Microergonomics is a new area of study on hand design in order to redesign the instruments in a better way for the surgeon's hand. ⋯ The future perspectives of designing neurosurgical instruments will be directed toward microergonomics, penization, and electronics integrated with surgical instrument principles.
-
We investigated the effects of different doses of pregabalin on the pathophysiologic changes in early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in rats. ⋯ Although the antioxidant effect was significant with the lower dose of pregabalin, the anti-inflammatory effects via vasodilatation were more marked with the higher dose. Significant improvements in the histopathological changes were observed with the higher dose of pregabalin. The dose-dependent effects of pregabalin on SAH should be evaluated in animal studies as a function of time and in the acute and chronic phases.