World Neurosurg
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Neurosurgery (NS) is among the most selective specialties in the United States. As the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 transitions to a binary pass/fail score, residency programs face unclear challenges in screening and evaluating applicants. The aim of this study is to provide insights into the perceived impact of changes to the USMLE Step 1 grading in the applicant selection process. ⋯ Reporting binary Step 1 grades marks a significant shift in assessing applicants for NS residency by emphasizing Step 2 CK, class rank, and research productivity.
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Candidates for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) have a higher rate of opioid use than does the public, but studies on preoperative opioid use have not been conducted. We aimed to understand how preoperative opioid use affects post-ACDF outcomes. ⋯ Chronic opioid users had more comorbidities than opioid nonusers and mild opioid users, longer hospitalizations, and higher rates of postoperative complication, readmission, and reoperation. After balancing patients across covariates, the outcome differences persisted, suggesting a durable association between preoperative opioid use and negative postoperative outcomes.
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The neurosurgical sub-internship is a crucial step for prospective neurosurgeons. However, the expectations for sub-interns, particularly the technical skills required by residents and attendings, often are unclear. We present survey data on what medical students, residents, and attendings believe are important procedural proficiencies for neurosurgical sub-internships. We incorporated these tasks into a pilot skills-based craniotomy workshop, and here we report on the impact of the session on the neurosurgical training of medical students. ⋯ Although the expectations for sub-interns may be heterogeneous, there is general agreement that proficiency in the initial and final steps of craniotomies, as well as minor procedures, is recommended. Cadaveric labs can improve student engagement in neurosurgery, facilitate interactions with neurosurgical departments, and enhance technical skills.
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Interfacility transfers represent a large proportion of neurosurgical admissions to tertiary care centers each year. In this study, the authors examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of transfers, timing of transfers, demographic profile of transfer patients, and clinical outcomes including rates of surgical intervention. ⋯ The COVID-19 pandemic did not reduce the number of monthly transfers, operation rates, or catchment area for transfer patients. Transfer rates of uninsured patients increased during the COVID Era, potentially reflecting changes in access to community neurosurgery care. Shorter time to surgery seen in COVID-Era patients possibly reflects institutional policies that improved operating room efficiency to compensate for surgical backlogs. COVID status affeted time to surgery, reflecting the preoperative care that these patients require before intervention.
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Cerebrospinal fluid tap test is a common procedure to predict the efficacy of ventriculoperitoneal shunt for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus. Objective tests after cerebrospinal fluid tap test are used to establish the surgical indication, but subjective improvements may also be important in selection of surgical candidates. The aim of this study was to evaluate surgical outcomes of patients with ventriculoperitoneal shunt for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus, comparing patients showing objective improvement with patients improving only on subjective assessments. ⋯ Surgical outcomes after ventriculoperitoneal shunt were similar between the 2 groups, with a more favorable trend in terms of symptom improvement for subjective responders. Subjective assessment seems to be an important factor to consider in preoperative evaluation.