World Neurosurg
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Spinal cord stimulators (SCS) represent an effective treatment for patients with chronic pain issues. This study examines extremely obese patients (body mass index [BMI] ≥40) as appropriate surgical candidates for paddle lead SCS trial via partial thoracic laminectomy and whether obesity impacts implantation safety. ⋯ We conclude that paddle lead SCS trial in extremely obese patients is reasonable to offer with the expectation of similar safety concerns as those for patients with a lower BMI.
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Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) of aspirin plus clopidogrel is commonly used in patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms treated with stent-assisted coil (SAC) embolization. However, the unpredictable clopidogrel efficacy of the 5%-55% nonresponders limits its use. Ticagrelor, as a potential alternative of clopidogrel, is an antiplatelet agent with low resistance rates but uncertain efficacy and safety in these patients. ⋯ Ticagrelor seemed to be as effective and safe as clopidogrel for SAC in unruptured intracranial aneurysms. Hematocrit and fibrinogen levels were independent risk factors for the incidence of MACCE.
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The classically recommended first-line therapy for microprolactinomas is medical therapy. In the presence of drug resistance and intolerance after the use of dopamine agonists or when the patients prefer surgery instead of medication, surgical treatment is considered as second-line treatment. The high hormonal remission and low complication rates after surgery for microprolactinomas suggest that the surgical outcome of endoscopic surgeries may be better than medical therapy in well-selected patients. This study reports a large series of patients with microprolactinoma treated by endoscopic transnasal approach and evaluates the efficiency of surgical treatment. ⋯ According to our findings, endoscopic transnasal surgery performed by an experienced neurosurgeon in well-selected patients with microprolactinoma can be offered with cure rates superior to medical therapy and may be an alternative first-line treatment option to dopamine agonists.
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This study aimed to investigate the short-term efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic thoracic decompression (PETD) under local anesthesia and traditional posterior thoracic laminectomy (PTL) in treating single-segment thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum (T-OLF). ⋯ The PETD under local anesthesia for T-OLF has many advantages, such as high patient acceptance, good short-term clinical outcomes, and few complications; therefore, this procedure should be promoted as a viable treatment option for T-OLF.
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Intraoperative ultrasound (iUS) is a well-established technique whose aim is to provide real-time visualization of deep lesions during brain surgery. The lack of definition of anatomic semeiotics and the unusual direction of the insonation plane make interpretation and orientation challenging for the surgeon who newly approaches to such a tool. We propose a novel protocol to be applied during the surgical planning for intracranial lesions surgery, a so-called ultrasound-oriented surgical planning ("UOSP") protocol, and we provide a retrospective analysis of 21 patients who underwent surgery for an intracranial lesion in which UOSP was applied. To further enlighten different surgical orientation strategies and possible limitations given by the technique, we discuss 3 illustrative cases assigned to 3 categories ("basic," "intermediate," and "challenging" lesions) with progressively growing difficulty in anatomic orientation during a surgical procedure. ⋯ The introduction of the UOSP protocol during the planification of the surgical intervention for an intracerebral lesion may serve as a key factor to overcome the actual limitations inherent to the iUS technique. Utilization of this protocol may facilitate wider use of iUS in neurosurgery.