World Neurosurg
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Medicare reimbursements for otolaryngology and neurosurgery procedures have generally declined since 2000. We explore Medicare reimbursement trends for anterior cranial fossa, middle cranial fossa, posterior cranial fossa, pituitary surgery, and skull base reconstruction surgery from 2000-2022. ⋯ While nominal per-service Medicare reimbursement has increased for skull base surgery codes, there has been a downward trend in inflation-adjusted procedural reimbursement. This parallels findings in other otolaryngology and neurosurgery procedures. Despite this, surgical volume in all skull base surgery subfields has increased, indicating increased utility and adoption of these techniques.
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Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor in older adults and has a poor prognosis and limited response to treatment. The growing impact of palliative care on older people undergoing neurosurgery is becoming increasingly important. Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life for people and their families by addressing their physical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs. ⋯ Nonetheless, there are similarities between the needs of people with GBM and those with other, more common cancer diagnoses and nonmalignant chronic neurologic illnesses. The integration of palliative care into the management of older people with GBM during neurosurgery is crucial for addressing their unique needs and improving their quality of life. In this review, we aimed to comprehensively evaluate the impact of palliative care on people with GBM and its importance.
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Carry out an update and systematic review on the use of three-dimensional printing (3DP) in spinal surgery. ⋯ 3DP is one of the most-used tools in spine surgeries, but there are still randomized articles available on the subject. Using this technology seems to have a positive effect on patient education regarding their disease and surgical planning.
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Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a condition burdened by high morbidity and mortality. Prevention of secondary insults is 1 of the main goals of management and intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is a cornerstone in management of TBI. The relationship between ICP and optic nerve sheath is known from the literature. Optic nerve sheath ultrasonography could represent a method added to our armamentarium for monitoring ICP. ⋯ We propose the use of ONSD ultrasound as a screening investigation for post-traumatic intracranial hypertension in the context of an emergency department, especially in contexts where there is limited availability of ICP monitors.
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Case Reports
Surgical Video: Percutaneous fusion and endoscopic resection of a thoracic metastatic tumor.
While endoscopic approaches to the spine have become increasingly utilized for spinal degenerative disease, there is a paucity of literature regarding the role of endoscopic approaches in spinal oncology.1 The endoscopic approach offers patients lower risk of wound infection, wound dehiscence, and postoperative hematoma when compared with an open approach.1 In many spinal oncology patients, an endoscopic approach allows for prompt postoperative radiation when compared with an open approach.2 Both the lower complication profile and decreased time to postoperative radiation highlight the importance of considering an endoscopic approach to metastatic spinal tumors. We present a case of a patient with a metastatic carcinoma to the thoracic spine resected via an endoscopic approach. The patient's tumor was first treated with endovascular embolization, followed by endoscopic hemilaminectomy, foraminotomy, and tumor resection. ⋯ Per institutional guidelines, the current case Video 1 did not classify as human subject research or require institutional review board review. In the Video 1, particular focus is placed on the surgical techniques involved in the endoscopic approach for resection a spinal metastatic tumor. With the increasing utilization of endoscopic approaches to the spine, the described technique for resection of spinal metastatic lesions will become increasingly relevant to spinal oncology surgeons.