ORCID Profile
0000-0002-6923-9701
Current Organisation
Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service
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Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 16-10-2013
Publisher: Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group (JNSPG)
Date: 05-2017
DOI: 10.3171/2016.11.SPINE16683
Abstract: The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is a simple, objective, and standardized method to measure objective functional impairment (OFI) in patients with lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD). The objective of the current work was to validate the OFI baseline severity stratification (BSS with levels of “none,” “mild,” “moderate,” and “severe”). Data were collected in a prospective IRB-approved 2-center study. Patients were assessed with a comprehensive panel of scales for measuring pain (visual analog scale [VAS] for back and leg pain), functional impairment (Roland-Morris Disability Index [RMDI] and Oswestry Disability Index [ODI]), and health-related quality of life (HRQOL EQ-5D and SF-12). OFI BSS was determined using age- and sex-adjusted cutoff values. A total of 375 consecutive patients scheduled for lumbar spine surgery were included. Each 1-step increase on the OFI BSS corresponded to an increase of 0.53 in the back pain VAS score, 0.69 in the leg pain VAS score, 1.81 points in the RMDI, and 5.93 points in the ODI, as well as to a decrease in HRQOL of −0.073 in the EQ-5D, −1.99 in the SF-12 physical component summary (PCS), and −1.62 in the SF-12 mental component summary (MCS all p 0.001). Patients with mild, moderate, and severe OFI had increased leg pain by 0.90 (p = 0.044), 1.54 (p 0.001), and 1.94 (p 0.001) increased ODI by 7.99 (p = 0.004), 12.64 (p 0.001), and 17.13 (p 0.001) and decreased SF-12 PCS by −2.57 (p = 0.049), −3.63 (p = 0.003), and −6.23 (p 0.001), respectively. The OFI BSS is a valid measure of functional impairment for use in daily clinical practice. The presence of OFI indicates the presence of significant functional impairment on subjective outcome measures.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.CLINEURO.2016.08.024
Abstract: Demographic changes will lead to an increase of elderly people in our population and consecutively to a higher prevalence of patients suffering from degenerative disc disease (DDD). The goal of this study was to investigate age-related differences in pain intensity, subjective and objective functional impairment and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with lumbar DDD. In a prospective two-center study, back and leg pain intensity (visual analogue scale (VAS)), functional impairment (Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Roland-Morris Disability Index (RMDI)) and HRQoL (EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D), Short-Form (SF12)) were collected for consecutive patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery. Objective functional impairment (OFI) was measured using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Adjusted partial correlation was used to correlate age to each scale preoperatively, as well as to the postoperative improvement at six weeks. A total of n=377 patients (161 females, 42.7%) with a mean age of 58.5 years (SD 15.7, range 18.0-93.7) were included. Unadjusted TUG test raw times naturally increased with age, whereas the age-effect on standardized OFI T-scores was close to zero in patients with a lumbar disc herniation (LDH r=-0.0666, p=0.367) or lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS r=-0.0134, p=0.879). There was a weak correlation between age and higher ODI (LDH: r=0.1289, p=0.089 LSS: r=0.1975 p=0.027), lower EQ-5D (LSS: r=-0.1824, p=0.042) and higher RMDI by trend (LSS: r=0.1679, p=0.061). The correlation between age and postoperative improvement was negative on the VAS for back pain (LDH: r=-0.3189, p=0.026), VAS for leg pain (LDH: r=-0.3656, p=0.009) and RMDI by trend (LSS: r=-0.2004, p=0.069), as well as positive on the EQ-5D index (r=0.2412, p=0.011), indicating that younger patients showed better improvement. Due to in-group heterogeneity, no age-effect could be calculated for patients scheduled for surgical fusion. The influence of age on subjective and objective measures of pain, functional impairment and HRQoL is limited for patients with LDH and LSS, but suggests an age-dependent increase of functional disability. Younger patients generally showed greater postoperative improvement at six weeks than older patients.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 03-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.JOCN.2012.05.040
Abstract: Long-term survival is an often used, yet poorly defined, concept in the study of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). This study suggests a method to define a time-point for long-term survival in patients with GBM. Data for this study were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Results database, which was limited to the most recent data using the period approach. Relative survival measures were used and modelled using piecewise constant hazards to describe the survival profile of long-term survivors of GBM. For patients with GBM, the first quarter of the second year (5th quarter) post-diagnosis is considered to be the peak incidence of mortality with an excess hazard ratio of 7.58 (95% confidence interval=6.54, 8.78) and the risk of death due to GBM decreases to half of its rate at 2.5 years post-diagnosis. The 2.5-year cumulative relative survival (CRS) for all patients is approximately 8%, with a CRS of approximately 2% at 10 years. Using the definition of long-term survival suggested here, the results indicate that long-term survivors are patients who survive at least 2.5 years post-diagnosis. The most likely time period for patients with GBM to die is the 5th quarter post-diagnosis.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 12-2018
DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.118.022808
Abstract: Commonly used tools to determine functional outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) have limitations. Time spent at the patient’s home has previously been proposed as a robust outcome measure after ischemic stroke. Here, we set out to validate home-time as an outcome measure after aSAH. We examined prospectively collected data from a nationwide multicenter registry of aSAH patients admitted to a tertiary neurosurgical department in Switzerland (Swiss SOS [Swiss Study on Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage] 2009–2015). We calculated mean home-time (defined as days spent at home for the first 90 days after aSAH) and 95% CIs for each category of modified Rankin Scale at discharge and 1-year follow-up, using linear regression models to analyze home-time differences per modified Rankin Scale category. We had home-time data from 1076 of 1866 patients (57.7%), and multiple imputation was used to fill-in missing data from the remaining 790 patients. Increasing home-time was associated with improved modified Rankin Scale scores at time of hospital discharge ( P .0001) and at 1-year follow-up ( P .0001). Within each of the 8 participating hospitals, the relationship between home-time and modified Rankin Scale was maintained. Home-time for the first 90 days after aSAH offers a robust and easily ascertainable outcome measure, discriminating particularly well across better recovery levels at time of hospital discharge and at 1-year follow-up. This measure complies with the modern trend of patient-centered healthcare and research, representing an outcome that is particularly relevant to the patient. URL: clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT03245866.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.WNEU.2017.12.046
Abstract: The literature on multiple intracranial aneurysms (MIA) in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) focuses largely on risk factor analysis and consists essentially of retrospective cohort studies of limited s le size, or studies in populations outside Europe and North America. The purpose of this cohort study was to identify predictors for aneurysm multiplicity and to investigate the anatomic distribution of MIA in a representative Western cohort of patients with aSAH. The Swiss Study of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SOS) database includes anonymized data from all tertiary neurovascular facilities in Switzerland. The dataset for 2009-2014 was used to compare characteristics of patients with aSAH and MIA and those with a single intracranial aneurysm (SIA) by means of descriptive and multivariate regression analysis. Among 1689 unselected patients with aSAH, 467 had MIA (prevalence, 27.6%). The location of the ruptured index aneurysm was correlated with the probability of finding bystander aneurysms and predicted their likely anatomic distribution. Patients with a ruptured basilar artery aneurysm (odds ratio [OR], 2.11 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30-3.44) or a ruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysm (OR, 1.86 95% CI, 1.35-2.55) were at the greatest risk for having MIA. Larger size of the index aneurysm (OR per 1 mm, 1.03 95% CI, 1.01-1.06) was also positively correlated with aneurysm multiplicity. Males were less likely than females to have MIA (OR, 0.79 95% CI, 0.61-1.01). In patients with aSAH, the location of the ruptured index aneurysm is correlated with the probability of finding bystander aneurysms, and is predictive of the sites at which bystander aneurysms are most likely to be found.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-04-2022
DOI: 10.1002/HPJA.598
Abstract: The “10,000 Lives” initiative was launched in Central Queensland in November 2017 to reduce daily smoking prevalence to 9.5% by 2030 by promoting available smoking cessation interventions. One of the main strategies was to identify and engage possible stakeholders (local ch ions for the program) from hospitals and community organisations to increase conversations about smoking cessation and referrals to Quitline. We aimed to understand the roles, experiences and perceptions of stakeholders (possible ch ions for delivering smoking cessation support) of the “10,000 Lives” initiative in Central Queensland, Australia. We conducted a mixed‐method online survey during the COVID‐19 situation (23 June 2020 to 22 August 2020) with a cross‐section of possible stakeholders who were targeted for involvement in “10, 000 Lives” using a structured questionnaire with mostly closed‐ended questions. Questions were asked regarding their roles, experiences and perceptions about smoking cessation and “10,000 Lives”. Among the 110 respondents, 52 (47.3%) reported having provided smoking cessation support, including referral to Quitline, brief intervention and promoting existing interventions. Among them (n = 52), 31 (59.6%) were from hospitals and health services, 14 (26.9%) were from community services and three (5.8%) were from private medical practices while four of them did not report their setting. Twenty‐five respondents (22.7%) self‐identified as being directly involved with the “10, 000 Lives” initiative, which significantly predicted provision of smoking cessation support (OR 6.0, 95% CI: 2.1‐19.8). However, a substantial proportion (63.5%) of those (n = 52) who reported delivering cessation support did not identify as contributing to “10,000 Lives”. Stakeholders from hospitals, health services and community services are the main providers of smoking cessation support in Central Queensland. More could be done to support other stakeholders to feel confident about providing cessation support and to feel included in the initiative. Engaging with a range of stakeholders is critical for health promotion program success, to further develop the program and to ensure its sustainability. As such, funding needs to be allocated to the activities that enable this process to occur.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-02-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.CLINEURO.2016.04.008
Abstract: A growing number of studies focus on sex differences in the pre- and postoperative setting in patients with degenerative disc disease (DDD). The exact pathomechanism behind this phenomenon, however, remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate pre- and postoperative sex differences in patients with lumbar DDD. In a prospective two-center study, back and leg pain (Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)), functional disability (Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Roland-Morris Disability Index) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) (EuroQol 5D and Short-Form (SF12)) were collected for patients scheduled for lumbar spine surgery. In addition to the subjective functional impairment (SFI), objective functional impairment (OFI) was estimated using age- and sex-adjusted cut-off values for the timed-up-and-go (TUG) test. The 6-week responder status was defined using minimally clinically important differences of the ODI, SF12 PCS, VAS back and leg pain in all patients. Six months and one year follow-up (FU) was available in n=127 and n=87 patients, respectively. The patient cohort comprised of n=214 patients (41.6% females). Preoperatively, female patients scored significantly worse on VAS back and leg pain, ODI and SF12 PCS (p 0.182). Male and female patients profited equally on measures of SFI and HRQoL up to six months and one year after surgery (p>0.091). Preoperatively, female patients scored worse in terms of SFI, while OFI was similar. Consecutively, OFI appears to be less prone to sex bias and may thus serve as a valuable surrogate-marker of disability. The disadvantageous preoperative SFI-status did not translate into worse postoperative results, as no sex differences were present at the 6-week, 6-months and 1-year follow-up.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 18-02-2015
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 06-2017
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.029538
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess nationwide incidence and outcomes of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). The Swiss SOS (Swiss Study on Subarachnoid Hemorrhage) was established in 2008 and offers the unique opportunity to provide this data from the point of care on a nationwide level. All patients with confirmed aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage admitted between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2014, within Switzerland were recorded in a prospective registry. Incidence rates were calculated based on time-matched population data. Admission parameters and outcomes at discharge and at 1 year were recorded. We recorded data of 1787 consecutive patients. The incidence of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in Switzerland was 3.7 per 100 000 persons/y. The number of female patients was 1170 (65.5%). With a follow-up rate of 91.3% at 1 year, 1042 patients (58.8%) led an independent life according to the modified Rankin Scale (0–2). About 1 in 10 patients survived in a dependent state (modified Rankin Scale, 3–5 n=185 10.4%). Case fatality was 20.1% (n=356) at discharge and 22.1% (n=391) after 1 year. The current incidence of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in Switzerland is lower than expected and an indication of a global trend toward decreasing admissions for ruptured intracranial aneurysms. URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT03245866.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 08-2016
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-10-2014
DOI: 10.1111/ANS.12885
Abstract: Primary hyperparathyroidism is caused by a single adenoma in at least 80% of cases. Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) has overtaken bilateral neck exploration as the gold standard for treatment in cases with adequate preoperative localization. There is evidence that, following careful review of preoperative imaging by the surgeon, increasing numbers of patients can successfully undergo MIP. We conducted a retrospective review of 225 consecutive cases performed by a single surgeon. Outcomes for patients with disease reported as localized by radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians using sestamibi and ultrasound were compared with patients with negative or indeterminate localization studies, in which the surgeon reviewed the sestamibi, performed an ultrasound study and identified likely single adenomas and planned MIP. One hundred and sixty patients with radiologist-localized disease and an additional 29 patients with surgeon-localized disease underwent MIP. The surgeon-localized group had higher rates of conversion to bilateral neck exploration (21% compared with 4%, P = 0.004), but rates of failure to cure were comparable between the two groups (4.3% compared with 2.8%). Careful review of preoperative sestamibi and ultrasound studies by an experienced surgeon can increase the number of patients that can successfully undergo MIP for the treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism. Offering MIP to these patients does not result in increased rates of failure or recurrence.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 14-01-2023
Abstract: Computed tomography (CT) scans make substantial contributions to low-dose ionizing radiation exposures, raising concerns about excess cancers caused by diagnostic radiation. Deidentified medicare records for all Australians aged 0–19 years between 1985–2005 were linked to national death and cancer registrations to 2012. The National Cancer Institute CT program was used to estimate radiation doses to the brain from CT exposures in 1985–2005, Poisson regression was used to model the dependence of brain cancer incidence on brain radiation dose, which lagged by 2 years to minimize reverse causation bias. Of 10 524 842 young Australians, 611 544 were CT-exposed before the age of 20 years, with a mean cumulative brain dose of 44 milligrays (mGy) at an average follow-up of 13.5 years after the 2-year lag period. 4472 were diagnosed with brain cancer, of whom only 237 had been CT-exposed. Brain cancer incidence increased with radiation dose to the brain, with an excess relative risk of 0.8 (95% CI 0.57–1.06) per 100 mGy. Approximately 6391 (95% CI 5255, 8155) persons would need to be exposed to cause 1 extra brain cancer. For brain tumors that follow CT exposures in childhood by more than 2 years, we estimate that 40% (95% CI 29%–50%) are attributable to CT Radiation and not due to reverse causation. However, because of relatively low rates of CT exposure in Australia, only 3.7% (95% CI 2.3%–5.4%) of all brain cancers are attributable to CT scans. The population-attributable fraction will be greater in countries with higher rates of pediatric scanning.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-08-2011
DOI: 10.1002/CNCR.26387
Abstract: Medulloblastomas are 1 of the most common brain tumors in children but can affect in iduals of all ages. For this report, the author investigated the impact of medulloblastomas rimitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) on the US population with a focus on age differences. Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were used to describe cumulative relative survival (CRS) using crude, period, and longitudinal period approaches for patients diagnosed with all medulloblastoma subtypes and PNETs. CRS estimates were obtained using SEER expected mortality data and the Ederer II method for expected survival estimation. These data were applied to the construction of rational follow-up scheduling protocols. The 5-year period CRS for all patients who were followed between 2001 and 2006 was 69%. Adults had a worse overall prognosis, but this difference in excess hazard rates appeared only after 4 years of follow-up. Furthermore, the 5-year and 10-year CRS has improved a minimum of 11% in children, adolescents, and adults over the past 25 years. The survival difference between children, adolescents, and adults with medulloblastomas and PNETs depended on the length of follow-up, which was described in this report as an age-by-follow-up interaction and observed as a "fork" on Kaplan-Meier curves. Differences in survival between children and adults emerged only 4 years after diagnosis, and adults fared worse. There has been significant improvement in survival from medulloblastomas/PNETs since the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-03-2011
Publisher: Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group (JNSPG)
Date: 11-2019
DOI: 10.3171/2019.8.FOCUS19245
Abstract: Skin depressions may appear as undesired effects after burr-hole trepanation for the evacuation of chronic subdural hematomas (cSDH). Placement of burr-hole covers to reconstruct skull defects can prevent skin depressions, with the potential to improve the aesthetic result and patient satisfaction. The perception of the relevance of this practice, however, appears to vary substantially among neurosurgeons. The authors aimed to identify current practice variations with regard to the application of burr-hole covers after trepanation for cSDH. An electronic survey containing 12 questions was sent to resident and faculty neurosurgeons practicing in different parts of the world, as identified by an Internet search. All responses completed between September 2018 and December 2018 were considered. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. A total of 604 responses were obtained, of which 576 (95.4%) provided complete data. The respondents’ mean age was 42.4 years (SD 10.5), and 86.5% were male. The s le consisted of residents, fellows, junior/senior consultants, and department chairs from 79 countries (77.4% Europe, 11.8% Asia, 5.4% America, 3.5% Africa, and 1.9% Australasia). Skin depressions were considered a relevant issue by 31.6%, and 76.0% indicated that patients complain about skin depressions more or less frequently. Burr-hole covers are placed by 28.1% in the context of cSDH evacuation more or less frequently. The most frequent reasons for not placing a burr-hole cover were the lack of proven benefit (34.8%), followed by additional costs (21.9%), technical difficulty (19.9%), and fear of increased complications (4.9%). Most respondents (77.5%) stated that they would consider placing burr-hole covers in the future if there was evidence for superiority of the practice. The use of burr-hole covers varied substantially across countries, but a country’s gross domestic product per capita was not associated with their placement. Only a minority of neurosurgeons place burr-hole covers after trepanation for cSDH on a regular basis, even though the majority of participants reported complaints from patients regarding postoperative skin depressions. There are significant differences in the patterns of care among countries. Class I evidence with regard to patient satisfaction and safety of burr-hole cover placement is likely to have an impact on future cSDH management.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.WNEU.2016.11.039
Abstract: The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, as a measure of objective functional impairment in lumbar degenerative disk disease (DDD), complements patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) of subjective functional impairment. Prospective 2-center study on consecutive patients scheduled for surgical treatment for lumbar DDD who underwent an objective (TUG test) and subjective (PROMs) functional assessment before and 1 and 3 days after surgery. PROMs included the visual analog scale (VAS), Roland-Morris Disability Index (RMDI), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Euro-Qol (EQ-5D), and Short Form 12 (SF-12) questionnaires. On completion of each assessment, patients were asked whether they would prefer performing the TUG test or completing the PROMs questionnaires. A total of 109 of 125 patients (87.2%) completed the assessments. Preoperatively, patients were 2.18 times as likely to prefer the TUG test to the PROMs (odds ratio [OR], 2.18 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27-3.75). On postoperative days 1 and 3, patients were 5.79 (OR, 5.79 95% CI, 3.23-10.37) and 6.33 times as likely to prefer the TUG test to the PROMs, respectively (OR, 6.33 95% CI, 3.51-11.41). There were no statistical differences in baseline characteristics, TUG t scores, VAS, RMDI, ODI, SF-12, and EQ-5D index between patients preferring either the TUG test or the PROMs questionnaires. The TUG test is preferred over a battery of PROMs by 60%-70% of patients with lumbar DDD not only in the preoperative, but also in the postoperative, setting. High functional disability does not result in avoidance of the TUG test, and repeated assessments lead to higher preference.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 05-2016
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.WNEU.2019.01.042
Abstract: To study improvements in outcomes after surgery for intracranial meningiomas. We performed a longitudinal observational study comparing 1469 patients operated on for intracranial meningioma in 4 consecutive time frames (1990-1994, 1995-1999, 2000-2004, and 2005-2010). Median age at surgery was 58.3 years. Median follow-up was 7 years. Patients in later periods were older than in the earlier ones (odds ratio [OR], 1.19 [1.09-1.32] P < 0.0005), indicating a trend toward operating on more elderly patients. Before 2000, 42%, 32%, 6%, 19%, and 0.3% achieved Simpson grade (SG) I, II, III, IV, and V, respectively, whereas the SG rates were 35%, 37%, 4%, 23%, and 0.9% after 2000 (OR, 1.18 [1.06-1.30] P < 0.005). The perioperative mortality (OR, 0.65 [0.46-0.91] P < 0.05) and worsened neurologic outcome rate (OR, 0.70 [0.60-0.83] P < 0.0001) were significantly lower in later decades, but the 4 surgical periods were similar regarding postoperative infections and hematomas. Retreatment-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) increased significantly over the 4 time frames (P < 0.05 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Multivariate analysis confirmed the improvement of surgical radicality, neurologic outcome, perioperative mortality, OS, and RFS. Meningioma surgery as well as patient population changed over the 2 decades considered in this study. We observed higher rates of gross total resection in the later period and the perioperative outcomes improved or were unchanged, which signifies better long-term outcomes, RFS, and OS.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.WNEU.2016.09.070
Abstract: To analyze the influence of body mass index (BMI) on subjective and objective measures of pain, functional impairment, and health-related quality of life in patients with lumbar degenerative disc disease undergoing surgery. Prospective institutional review board-approved 2-center study, measuring visual analog scale (VAS) back and leg pain, Roland-Morris Disability Index (RMDI), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), EuroQol 5D questionnaire, and Short Form-12 at baseline, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. T-scores of objective functional impairment (OFI) were determined using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. A total of 375 patients with a median BMI of 26.6 kg/m BMI positively correlates with VAS back pain, RMDI, and ODI. Standardized TUG T scores reflect the patient's degree of OFI well, irrespective of BMI. The TUG test appears to be a good means to estimate functional impairment in populations with a high prevalence of obesity.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.CANEP.2016.03.006
Abstract: Ionizing radiation is a cause of cancer. This paper examines the effects of radiation dose and age at exposure on the incidence of brain cancer using data from the Life Span Study (LSS) of atomic bomb survivors. The Radiation Effects Research Foundation website provides demographic details of the LSS population, estimated radiation doses at time of bomb in 1945, person years of follow-up and incident cancers from 1958 to 1998. We modelled brain cancer incidence using background-stratified Poisson regression, and compared the excess relative risk (ERR) per Gray (Gy) of brain dose with estimates from follow-up studies of children exposed to diagnostic CT scans. After exposure to atomic bomb radiation at 10 years of age the estimated ERR/Gy was 0.91 (90%CI 0.53, 1.40) compared with 0.07 (90%CI -0.27, 0.56) following exposure at age 40. Exposure at 10 years of age led to an estimated excess of 17 brain tumors per 100,000 person year (pyr) Gy by 60 years of age. These LSS estimates are substantially less than estimates based on follow-up of children exposed to CT scans. Estimates of ERR/Gy for brain cancers in the LSS and haemangioma cohorts seem much smaller than estimates of risk for young persons in the early years after exposure to CT-scans. This could be due to reverse causation bias in the CT cohorts, diagnostic error, measurement error with radiation doses, loss of early follow-up in the LSS, or non-linearity of the dose-response curve.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 09-04-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.CLINEURO.2014.08.036
Abstract: Thoraco-lumbar posterior fusion surgery is a frequent procedure used for patients with spinal instability due to tumor, trauma or degenerative disease. In the perioperative phase, many patients may experience vomiting, bowel irritation, constipation, or may even show symptoms of adynamic ileus possibly due to immobilization and high doses of opioid analgesics and narcotics administered during and after surgery. Retrospective single-center study on patients undergoing thoraco-lumbar fusion surgery for degenerative lumbar spine disease with instability in 2012. Study groups were built according to presence/absence of postoperative constipation, with postoperative constipation being defined as no bowel movement on postoperative days 0-2. Ninety-nine patients (39 males, 60 females) with a mean age of 57.1 ± 17.3 years were analyzed, of which 44 patients with similar age, gender, BMI and ASA-grades showed constipation (44.4%). Occurrence of constipation was associated with longer mean operation times (247 ± 62 vs. 214 ± 71 min p=0.012), higher estimated blood loss (545 ± 316 vs. 375 ± 332 ml p<0.001), and higher mean morphine dosages in the postoperative days 0-7 (the difference being significant on postoperative days 1 (48 mg vs. 30.9 mg, p=0.041) and 2 (43.2mg vs. 29.1mg, p=0.028). The equivalence dose of morphine administered during surgery was similar (339 ± 196 vs. 285 ± 144 mg p=0.286). The use of laxatives in the postoperative days 0-7 was generally high in both study groups, while it was more frequent in patients experiencing constipation. One patient with constipation developed a sonographically confirmed paralytic ileus. Patients with constipation showed a tendency toward longer postoperative hospitalization (7.6 vs. 6.7 days, p=0.136). The rate of constipation was high after thoraco-lumbar fusion surgery. Moreover, it was associated with longer surgery time, higher blood loss, and higher postoperative morphine doses. Further trials are needed to prove if the introduction of faster and less invasive surgery techniques may have a positive side effect on bowel movement after spine surgery as they may reduce operation times, blood loss and postoperative morphine use.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.WNEU.2016.06.120
Abstract: This study assessed whether predominant back pain (pBP) represents a negative outcome predictor in patients undergoing microscopic spine surgery without fusion for a lumbar disc herniation (LDH) or spinal stenosis (LSS). Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on consecutive patients with LDH or LSS at 2 centers. Patients with visual analog scale (VAS) back pain ≥VAS leg pain were assigned to the pBP group, and compared with patients with predominant VAS leg pain (pLP). Outcome measures included the Roland-Morris Disability Index (RMDI), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), health-related quality of life measures, Short-Form (SF)-12 Physical Component Summary (PCS), and EuroQol (EQ-5D) index at 3 days, 6 weeks (W6), 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. A total of 325 patients (154 [47.4%] with pBP and 171 [52.6%] with pLP) were included. Patients with pBP were about 6 years older and more often had LSS. There was no significant difference between the group means of the RMDI, ODI, SF-12 PCS, or EQ-5D at any postoperative time point. The most improvement was observed until the W6 follow-up with little or no improvement thereafter up to 1 year postoperatively. Patients with pBP were as likely as patients with pLP to be W6 responders on the RMDI (odds ratio [OR], 0.91 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38-2.16 P = 0.831), ODI (OR, 1.00 95% CI 0.52-1.92 P = 0.996), SF-12 PCS (OR, 1.09 95% CI 0.58-2.04 P = 0.791), and EQ-5D (OR, 0.62 95% CI 0.32-1.21 P = 0.164). Disease-specific subgroup analyses confirmed the results. The present data suggest that patients with pBP have comparable functional and health-related quality of life outcomes after surgery for LDH or LSS with those of patients with pLP.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.CLINEURO.2014.05.020
Abstract: The Magerl transarticular technique and the Harms-Goel C1 lateral mass-C2 isthmic screw technique are the two most commonly used surgical procedures to achieve fusion at C1-C2 level for atlanto-axial instability. Despite recent technological advances with an increased safety, several complications may still occur, including vascular lesions, neurological injuries, pain at the harvested bone graft site, infections, and metallic device failure. We retrospectively analyzed all patients (n=42 cases) undergoing a Harms-Goel C1-C2 fixation surgery with polyaxial C1 lateral mass screws and C2 isthmic screws at two different institutions between 2003 and 2012 and report clinical and radiological complications. One patient was lost to follow-up. The mean follow-up of the remaining 41 patients was 18.7 months (range 12-90). A clinically relevant complication was defined as a complication determining the onset of a new neurological deficit or requiring the need for a revision surgery. A total of 14 complications occurred in 10 patients (24.4% of 41 patients). Greater occipital nerve neuralgia was evident in 4 patients (9.8%). All but one completely resolved at the end of the follow-up. Persistent neck pain was reported by 3 patients (7.3%), hypoesthesia by 1 patient (2.4%), and anesthesia in the C2 area on both sides in 1 patient (2.4%). Furthermore, a superficial, a deep, and a combined superficial and deep wound infection occurred in 1 patient each (2.4%). One patient (2.4%) had pain at the iliac bone graft donor site for several weeks with spontaneous resolution. A posterior progressive intestinal herniation through the iliac scar was seen in 1 case (2.4%), which required surgical repair. No vascular damages occurred. Altogether, 5/41 patients (12.2%) had a clinically relevant complication including 4 patients necessitating a revision surgery at the C1-C2 level (9.8%). Atlanto-axial fixation surgery remains a challenging procedure because of the proximity of important neurovascular structures. Nevertheless, on the basis of our current experience, the C1 lateral mass-C2 isthmic screw technique appears to be safe with a low incidence of clinically relevant complications. Postoperative C2 neuralgia, as the most frequent problem, is due to surgical manipulation during preparation of the C1 screw entry point.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.JOCN.2014.12.025
Abstract: We present a 41-year-old man who underwent a cervical discarthroplasty (CDA) C5-6 procedure with an increase of the segmental range of motion from 2.8° to 6.9° and an increase in disc height from 5.8mm preoperatively to 10.4mm postoperatively with an unfavorable long-term clinical outcome. Both anterior cervical discectomy with fusion (ACDF), as well as CDA have been proven to be successful procedures in the management of cervical radiculopathy with good to excellent outcomes and low complication rates. The rationale for CDA over ACDF highlights the preservation of segmental motion and reduction of the incidence of adjacent segment disease. This case report suggests that a hypermobility syndrome and also an overcorrection of the cervical range of motion may be responsible for an unfavorable outcome after CDA.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.SPINEE.2016.12.004
Abstract: The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test has recently been proposed as a simple and standardized measure for objective functional impairment (OFI) in patients with lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD). The study aimed to explore the relationship between a patient's mental health status and both patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and TUG test results. This is a prospective institutional review board-approved two-center study. The s le was composed of 375 consecutive patients scheduled for lumbar spine surgery and a healthy cohort of 110 control subjects. Patients and control subjects were assessed with the TUG test and a comprehensive panel of subjective PROMs of pain intensity (visual analog scale [VAS]), functional impairment (Roland-Morris Disability Index [RMDI]), Oswestry Disability Index [ODI]), as well as health-related quality of life (hrQoL Euro-Qol [EQ]-5D). Standardized age- and sex-adjusted TUG test T-scores were calculated. The dependent variable was the short-form (SF)-12 mental component summary (MCS) quartiles, and the independent variables were the TUG T-scores and PROMs. Direct and adjusted analyses of covariance were performed to estimate the interaction between the SF-12 MCS quartiles and the independent variables. In patients, there was a significant decrease in the subjective PROMs, notably the VAS back pain (p=.001) and VAS leg pain (p=.035), as well as significant increase in the RMDI (p<.001), ODI (p<.001), and the EQ-5D index (p<.001) with every increase in the quartile of the SF-12 MCS. There were no significant group differences of OFI as measured by the TUG T-scores across the SF-12 MCS quartiles (p=.462). In the healthy control group, a significant decrease in VAS leg pain (p=.028), RMDI (p=.013), and ODI (p<.001), as well as a significant increase in the EQ-5D index (p<.001), was seen across the SF-12 MCS quartiles, whereas TUG T-scores remained stable (p=.897). There are significant influences of mental hrQoL on subjective measures of pain, functional impairment, and hrQoL that might lead to bias when evaluating patients with lumbar DDD who suffer from reduced mental hrQoL. The TUG test appears to be a stable instrument and especially helpful in the evaluation of patients with lumbar DDD and mental health problems.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.CLINEURO.2014.04.015
Abstract: It is well established that smoking has a myriad of negative effects on varies aspects of bodily health. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the smoking status at time of surgery on the postoperative subjective pain course and health related quality of life (HRQoL) until 1 year after surgery for lumbar disc herniation (LDH). This prospective cohort study included patients ≥18 and ≤90 years of age with a symptomatic and radiological verified LDH. The current smoking patient collective (smoking 1 or more cigarettes a day) was compared with the nonsmoking collective (previous smokers without cigarette consumption for >2 months and never smokers) in respect of subjective pain sensation (measured with the visual analogue scale (VAS)) and HRQoL using the short-form (SF-12) questionnaire preoperatively, before discharge, as well as after 4 weeks and 1 year postoperatively. The primary outcome measures were the 1-year SF-12 scores (MCS and PCS) categorized into responders and non-responders. A total of 102 patients were enrolled in the study. Thirty-eight patients were current smokers (37.2%), whereas 43 (42.2%) and 21 (20.6%) patients were never-smokers and previous smokers, respectively. Four weeks and one year after surgery, both smokers and nonsmokers reported increase in the HRQoL as compared to preoperative values - the MCS increased more than the PCS. From a univariate and multivariate perspective, smoking status at time of surgery did not predict responder status. The present study results could not confirm the hypothesis that smoking at time of surgery was associated with worse outcome after surgery for LDH.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-01-2015
DOI: 10.1111/ANS.12513
Abstract: Percutaneous needle fasciotomy (PNF) is a minimally invasive technique used to manage Dupuytren's contracture. We compared outcomes of PNF versus open fasciectomy (OF) to examine the suitability of PNF in Australia. A retrospective cohort study using two questionnaires regarding Dupuytren's treatment was used to assess patients with uncomplicated primary disease. The primary outcomes were immediate and medium-term correction of contracture (2-year mean follow-up to time of survey). Secondary outcomes were patient satisfaction and complications including tendon/nerve injury, infection, skin necrosis and vascular damage. One hundred fifty-five out of 191 surveys were returned (81%). The final analysis included 125 cases (65%), 73 PNF and 52 OF. No significant differences were observed between both groups with regards to follow-up time, gender, smoking status, co-morbidities or preoperative deformity grade. No significant differences were observed in terms of immediate or medium-term deformity correction, tendon/nerve injury or circulatory complications. The postoperative infection rate was higher with OF, with these patients 7.57 (95% confidence interval 1.56, 36.77 P = 0.01) times as likely to have a postoperative infection as patients undergoing PNF. A higher number of patients who underwent PNF were told that they would require another operation (30% versus 12% P = 0.02). Satisfaction scores were similar (OF 33.2 versus PNF 32.6 P = 0.82). The OF and PNF procedures provide comparable deformity correction for uncomplicated primary Dupuytren's disease in the immediate perioperative period. The reduced side effect profile of PNF should prompt surgeons to consider incorporating it in their practice for the first-line management of uncomplicated primary Dupuytren's disease.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 12-2019
DOI: 10.1136/BMJOPEN-2019-031375
Abstract: Outcomes rated on impairment scales are satisfactory after burr hole trepanation for chronic subdural haematoma (cSDH). However, the surgery leads to bony defects in the skull with skin depressions above that are frequently considered aesthetically unsatisfactory by the patients. Those defects could be covered by the approved medical devices (burr hole covers), but this is rarely done today. We wish to assess, whether the application of burr hole covers after trepanation for the evacuation of cSDH leads to higher patient satisfaction with the aesthetical result at 90 days postoperative, without worsening disability outcomes or increasing the complication rate. This is a prospective, single-blinded, randomised, controlled, investigator-initiated clinical trial enrolling 80 adult patients with first-time unilateral or bilateral cSDH in Switzerland. The primary outcome is the difference in satisfaction with the aesthetic result of the scar, comparing patients allocated to the intervention (burr hole cover) and control (no burr hole cover) group, measured on the Aesthetic Numeric Analogue scale at 90 days postoperative. Secondary outcomes include differences in the rates of skin depression, complications, as well as neurological, disability and health-related quality of life outcomes until 12 months postoperative. The institutional review board (Kantonale Ethikkommission Zürich) approved this study on 29 January 2019 under case number BASEC 2018–01180. This study determines, whether a relatively minor modification of a standard surgical procedure can improve patient satisfaction, without worsening functional outcomes or increasing the complication rate. The outcome corresponds to the value-based medicine approach of modern patient-centred medicine. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and electronic patient data will be safely stored for 15 years. NCT03755349 .
Publisher: Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group (JNSPG)
Date: 02-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.JOCN.2015.04.018
Abstract: We report on the use and performance of an objective measure of functional impairment, the timed up and go (TUG) test, in clinical practice for patients with lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD). We illustrate nine representative patients with lumbar DDD, who were selected from an ongoing prospective study, to report our clinical experience with the TUG test. In addition, a preliminary s le of 30 non-selected consecutive patients is presented. The following parameters were assessed preoperatively, and 3 days and 6 weeks postoperatively: back and leg pain using the visual analogue scale (VAS) functional impairment using the Oswestry disability index (ODI) and Roland-Morris disability index (RMDI) health-related quality of life using the EuroQol 5D (EQ5D) and Short-Form 12 (SF-12). The TUG test results improved by 2.6 and 5.4s after 3 days and 6 weeks compared to the baseline assessment. The mean VAS for back and leg pain decreased by 2.3 and 5.3, respectively, after 3 days, and by 2.7 and 4.6 after 6 weeks. The mean RMDI and ODI decreased by 3.4 and 23.3, respectively, after 3 days, and by 7.0 and 28.0 after 6 weeks. The mean EQ5D increased by 0.38 after 3 days and 0.358 after 6 weeks. The mean SF-12 mental component scale decreased by 0.2 after 3 days and increased by 5.6 after 6 weeks, whereas the mean SF-12 physical component scale increased by 6.4 after 3 days and by 9.8 after 6 weeks. The TUG test proved to be a useful, easy to use tool that could add a new, objective dimension to the armamentarium of clinical tests for the diagnosis and management of DDD. From our preliminary experience, we conclude that the TUG test accurately reflects a patient's objective functional impairment before and after surgery.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.JOCN.2014.10.029
Abstract: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) has a poor prognosis despite maximal multimodal therapy. Biomarkers of relevance to prognosis which may also identify treatment targets are needed. A few hundred genetic and molecular predictors have been implicated in the literature, however with the exception of IDH1 and O6-MGMT, there is uncertainty regarding their true prognostic relevance. This study analyses reported genetic and molecular predictors of prognosis in GBM. For each, its relationship with univariate overall survival in adults with GBM is described. A systematic search of MEDLINE (1998-July 2010) was performed. Eligible papers studied the effect of any genetic or molecular marker on univariate overall survival in adult patients with histologically diagnosed GBM. Primary outcomes were median survival difference in months and univariate hazard ratios. Analyses included converting 126 Kaplan-Meier curves and 27 raw data sets into primary outcomes. Seventy-four random effects meta-analyses were performed on 39 unique genetic or molecular factors. Objective criteria were designed to classify factors into the categories of clearly prognostic, weakly prognostic, non-prognostic and promising. Included were 304 publications and 174 studies involving 14,678 unique patients from 33 countries. We identified 422 reported genetic and molecular predictors, of which 52 had ⩾2 studies. IDH1 mutation and O6-MGMT were classified as clearly prognostic, validating the methodology. High Ki-67/MIB-1 and loss of heterozygosity of chromosome 10/10q were classified as weakly prognostic. Four factors were classified as non-prognostic and 13 factors were classified as promising and worthy of additional investigation. Funnel plot analysis did not identify any evidence of publication bias. This study demonstrates a novel literature and meta-analytical based approach to maximise the value that can be derived from the plethora of literature reports of molecular and genetic factors in GBM. Caution is advised in over-interpreting the results due to study limitations. Further research to develop this methodology and improvements in study reporting are suggested.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-07-2014
DOI: 10.1007/S00701-014-2177-7
Abstract: Although it is generally accepted that incidental durotomies (ID) should be primarily repaired, the current literature shows no consensus regarding the peri- and postoperative management in case of ID during lumbar spine surgery. Because ID is a rather frequent complication and may be associated with significant disability, we were interested to analyze the current handling of ID in three European countries. In March 2014, members of the Swiss, German, and Austrian neurosurgical and spine societies were asked to complete an online questionnaire regarding the management of ID during and after lumbar spine surgery. Two, respectively 4 weeks after the first invitation, reminder requests were sent to all invitees, who had not already responded at that time. There were 175 responses from 397 requests (44.1 %). Responders were predominantly neurosurgeons (89.7 % 10.3 % were orthopedic surgeons), of which 45.7, 40.0, and 17.8 % work in a non-university hospital, university hospital, and private clinic, respectively. As for the perioperative management of ID, 19.4 % of the responders suggest only bed rest, while, depending on the extent of the ID, 84.0 % suggest additional actions, TachoSil/Spongostan with fibrin glue or a similar product and single suture repair being the most mentioned. Concerning epidural wound drainage in case of ID, 37.2 % desist from placing an epidural wound drainage with or without aspiration, 30.9 % place it sometimes, and 33.7 % place it regularly, but only without aspiration. Most responders prescribe bed rest for 24 (34.9 %) or 48 h (28.0 %), with much fewer prescribing bed rest for 72 h (6.3 %) and none more than 72 h, and 14.9 % of participants never prescribe bed rest. The vast majority of physicians (82.9 %, n = 145) always inform their patients after the operation in case of ID. There is substantial heterogeneity in the management of incidental durotomies. The majority of spine surgeons today aim at complete/sufficient primary repair of the ID with varying recommendations concerning postoperative bed rest. Still, there is a trend towards early mobilization if the incidental durotomy has been closed completely/sufficiently with no participant favoring bed rest for more than 72 h.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-10-2016
DOI: 10.1002/CA.22613
Abstract: With thyroid cancer fast becoming one of the most common endocrine cancers, the frequency of thyroid surgery has increased. A common and debilitating concern with thyroid surgery is recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) paralysis leading to glottal obstruction and airway compromise. A systematic review regarding the anatomical variation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve was performed to determine the position of anatomical variants of the RLN in relation to the inferior thyroid artery (ITA) as well as the prevalence of nonrecurrent laryngeal nerve (NRLN). MEDLINE, Web of Science, MEDITEXT, AMED, CINAHL, Cochrane, ProQuest, Pubmed, and ScienceDirect. Databases were searched using the search terms "inferior thyroid artery," "recurrent laryngeal nerve," "nonrecurrent laryngeal nerve," and "anatomical variation." The reference sections of the articles found were searched for additional reports. The references of all articles were searched to find articles missed in the database search. A total of 8,655 RLN sides were included in this study. One thousand eight hundred and thirteen (20.95% 95% confidence interval (CI) 20.09, 2,182) showed a Type A configuration of RLN in relation to the ITA, 2,432 (28.10% 95% CI 27.15, 29.06) showed a Type B configuration and 4,410 (50.95% 95% CI 49.89, 52.01) showed a Type C configuration between the RLN and the ITA. The second search returned with 38,568 recurrent laryngeal sides and only 221 (0.57% 95%CI 0.5, 0.65) NRLN documented. The RLN is most commonly found in the posterior position, relative to the ITA. The incidence of the NRLN is low, only occurring in 0.57% of people.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 28-11-2022
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0277895
Abstract: With the reduction in access to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and changes in testing guidelines in Australia, a reduced number of people are seeking testing for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), limiting the opportunity to monitor disease transmission. Knowledge of community transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses is essential to better predict subsequent surges in cases during the pandemic to alert health services, protect vulnerable populations and enhance public health measures. We describe a methodology for a testing-based sentinel surveillance program to monitor disease in the community for early signal detection of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses. A longitudinal active testing-based sentinel surveillance program for respiratory viruses (including SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, influenza B and Respiratory Syncytial Virus) will be implemented in some regions of Queensland. Adults will be eligible for enrolment if they are part of specific community groups at increased risk of exposure and have not had a COVID-19 infection in the last 13 weeks. Recruitment via workplaces will occur in-person, via email and through online advertisement. Asymptomatic participants will be tested via PCR for SARS-CoV-2 infection by weekly self-collected nasal swabs. In addition, symptomatic participants will be asked to seek SARS-CoV-2 and additional respiratory virus PCR testing at nominated COVID-19 testing sites. SARS-CoV-2 and respiratory virus prevalence data will be analysed weekly and at the end of the study period. Once implemented, this surveillance program will determine the weekly prevalence of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses in the broader community by testing a representative s le of adults, with an aim to detect early changes in the baseline positivity rate. This information is essential to define the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in the community in near-real time to inform public health control measures and prepare health services and other stakeholders for a rise in service demand.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 06-07-2012
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 02-2018
DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.117.019328
Abstract: To identify predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and to estimate their impact. Retrospective analysis of prospective data from a nationwide multicenter registry on all aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage cases admitted to a tertiary neurosurgical department in Switzerland (Swiss SOS [Swiss Study on Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage] 2009–2015). Both clinical and radiological independent predictors of in-hospital mortality were identified, and their effect size was determined by calculating adjusted odds ratios (aORs) using multivariate logistic regression. Survival was displayed using Kaplan–Meier curves. Data of n=1866 aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients in the Swiss SOS database were available. In-hospital mortality was 20% (n=373). In n=197 patients (10.6%), active treatment was discontinued after hospital admission (no aneurysm occlusion attempted), and this cohort was excluded from analysis of the main statistical model. In the remaining n=1669 patients, the rate of in-hospital mortality was 13.9% (n=232). Strong independent predictors of in-hospital mortality were rebleeding (aOR, 7.69 95% confidence interval, 3.00–19.71 P .001), cerebral infarction attributable to delayed cerebral ischemia (aOR, 3.66 95% confidence interval, 1.94–6.89 P .001), intraventricular hemorrhage (aOR, 2.65 95% confidence interval, 1.38–5.09 P =0.003), and new infarction post-treatment (aOR, 2.57 95% confidence interval, 1.43–4.62 P =0.002). Several—and among them modifiable—factors seem to be associated with in-hospital mortality after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Our data suggest that strategies aiming to reduce the risk of rebleeding are most promising in patients where active treatment is initially pursued. URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT03245866.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.WNEU.2014.05.011
Abstract: Prior studies have shown that the incidence of neuropsychological deficits (NPDs) after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is high despite excellent outcome according to neurologic grading scales. Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) occurs in 30% of patients after aSAH and significantly contributes to the mortality and morbidity of aSAH. We tested the hypothesis that DCI is associated with neuropsychological outcome. Files of patients treated between January 2009 and August 2012 at 2 neurovascular centers were reviewed. Neuropsychological outcome was assessed in a face-to-face-interview of 2-2.5 hours' duration and graded as no (regular), minimal, moderate, or severe deficit according to normative population data by an experienced, independent neuropsychologist. The test battery was applied with consideration of the patients' in idual premorbid level of workload and social activities and accounted for the following cognitive domains: memory, attention, executive function, visual and spatial perception, language and calculation, and behavior. Of 226 patients treated at 2 centers, 187 were discharged alive. Full neuropsychological outcome assessment was available in 92 patients. DCI developed in 28 (30.4%) patients 24 of these patients (85.7%) showed moderate to severe NPD. From a univariate perspective, patients with DCI were 6.38 times as likely to experience moderate to severe NPD after aSAH as patients without DCI (odds ratio [OR] 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.98-20.50 P = 0.002), which remained statistically significant after correction for admission World Federation of Neurological Surgeons Grading System and Fisher scores, patient age, hydrocephalus, and further potential confounders (OR, 4.9 95% CI, 1.26-19.58 P = 0.022). Of all factors analyzed, DCI was the strongest predictor of NPD in the multivariate analysis, followed by chronic hydrocephalus (OR, 4.85 95% CI, 1.26-18.63 P = 0.022) and patient age ≥ 50 years (OR, 4.06 95% CI, 1.39-11.92 P = 0.001). Patients with evidence of DCI during their hospital course have a 5-fold increased risk of experiencing moderate to severe NPD compared with patients who do not develop DCI after aSAH. Secondary events occurring during acute hospitalization (DCI, hydrocephalus) may be more important to the overall neuropsychological outcome than hemorrhage (Fisher) and clinical severity (World Federation of Neurological Surgeons Grading System) scores at admission.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-03-2013
DOI: 10.1002/CNCR.28032
Abstract: Chordomas are rare bone tumors arising from remnants of the embryonic notochord. Data for this study were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute (1973-2009) to calculate the incidence, relative survival (RS), and standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of patients diagnosed with intracranial and extracranial chordomas and to assess the effects of age and sex on this disease. The overall incidence of extracranial and intracranial chordomas was 8.4 per 10 million population. The median overall survival of patients with chordoma patients was 7.7 years. The median survival was 7.7 years for male patients and 7.8 years for female patients. Younger patients (aged <40 years) survived longer compared with older patients (10-year RS, 68% vs 43%). The estimated age-standardized 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year RS rates was 72%, 48%, and 31%, respectively. The SMR in the overall cohort was 4.6 (95% confidence interval, 4.22-5.0) or 21.0 (95% confidence interval, 16.6-27.2) in young adult patients and 3.0 (95% confidence interval, 2.6-3.4) in elderly patients. The elderly had a more aggressive form of this disease and, other than the incidence, sex did not influence outcome in this disease. The study of chordomas presents a good case for the contribution that the SMR can have on measuring the impact of a disease on a population of patients. Although the younger population has better survival rates, the impact (SMR) in the younger age groups is much higher than in older populations.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-07-2020
DOI: 10.1007/S00701-015-2700-5
Abstract: It is generally believed that radiological signs of lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD) are associated with increased pain and functional impairment as well as lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Our aim was to assess the association of the Modic and Pfirrmann grading scales with established outcome questionnaires and the timed-up-and-go (TUG) test. In a prospective two-center study with patients scheduled for lumbar spine surgery, visual analogue scale (VAS) for back and leg pain, Roland-Morris Disability Index, Oswestry Disability Index and HRQoL, as determined by the Short-Form (SF)-12 and the Euro-Qol, were recorded. Functional mobility was measured with the TUG test. Modic type (MOD) and Pfirrmann grade (PFI) of the affected lumbar segment were assessed with preoperative imaging. Uni- and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the effect size of the relationship between clinical and radiological findings. Two hundred eighty-four patients (mean age 58.5, 119 (42 %) females) were enrolled. None of the radiological grading scales were significantly associated with any of the subjective or objective clinical tests. There was a tendency for higher VAS back pain (3.48 vs. 4.14, p = 0.096) and lower SF-12 physical component scale (31.2 vs. 29.4, p = 0.065) in patients with high PFI (4-5) as compared to patients with low PFI (0-3). In the multivariate analysis, patients with MOD changes of the vertebral endplates were 100 % as likely as patients without changes to show an impaired TUG test performance (odds ratio (OR) 1.00, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.56-1.80, p = 0.982). Patients with high PFI were 145 % as likely as those with low PFI to show an impaired TUG test performance (OR 1.45, 95 % CI 0.79-2.66, p = 0.230). There was no association between established outcome questionnaires of symptom severity and two widely used radiological classifications in patients undergoing surgery for lumbar DDD.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-12-2013
DOI: 10.1007/S00701-013-1956-X
Abstract: Different treatment options exist for symptomatic single-level degenerative anterolisthesis and stenosis. While simple micro-decompression has been advocated lately, most authors recommend posterior decompression with fusion. In recent years, decompression and dynamic transpedicular stabilisation has been introduced for this indication. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of decompression and dynamic transpedicular stabilisation with the Dynesys® system in single-level degenerative anterolisthesis and stenosis. Thirty consecutive patients with symptomatic single-level degenerative anterolisthesis and stenosis without scoliosis underwent decompression and single-level Dynesys stabilisation at the level of degenerative anterolisthesis. Patients were followed prospectively for 24 months with radiographs, Oswestry Disability Index scores, visual analogue scale (VAS) for back and leg pain, and estimated pain-free walking distance. At the 2-year follow-up, back pain was reduced from 6.5 preoperatively to 2.5, leg pain from 5.4 to 0.6. The pain-free walking distance was estimated at 500 m preoperatively and at over 2 km after 2 years, while the ODI decreased from 54 % to 18 %. Screw loosening was found in 2/30 cases. Symptomatic adjacent segment disease was found in 3/30 patients between 12 and 24 months postoperatively. Single-level Dynesys stabilisation combined with single- or multi-level decompression seems to be a safe and efficient treatment option in single-level degenerative anterolisthesis and stenosis over an observation period of 2 years, avoiding iliac crest or local bone grafting required by fusion procedures. However, it does not seem to avoid adjacent segment disease.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-11-2017
DOI: 10.1007/S00701-016-3030-Y
Abstract: The goal of this study is to determine the relationship of radiological grading scales of lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD) with postoperative pain intensity, functional impairment, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Response to surgical treatment at 6 weeks (W6) on the visual analogue scale (VAS) for back and leg pain, Oswestry-Disability (ODI) and Roland-Morris Disability Index (RMDI), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, EuroQol (EQ) 5D, and Short-Form Health-Survey (SF-12) physical component summary (PCS) was compared between patients with different Modic (MOD) and Pfirrmann (PFI) grades. Longitudinal outcomes at day 3 (D3), W6, 6 months (M6), and 1 year (Y1) were compared. The study included 338 patients (mean age, 58.6 years), of which n = 202 (59.8%) had MOD 1-3 and n = 217 (64.2%) PFI 4-5 changes. Patients with MOD 1-3 were as likely as patients without MOD changes to be treatment-responders at W6 in terms of VAS leg pain, ODI, RMDI, TUG, EQ5D, and SF-12 PCS. Similarly, patients with PFI 4-5 were as likely as patients with PFI 1-3 changes to be treatment-responders at W6. Longitudinal outcomes were similar at D3, W6, M6, and Y1 between patients with and without MOD changes. Patients with PFI 4-5 fared similar to those with PFI 1-3 except for inferior HRQoL on the SF-12 PCS metric at Y1. There was no distinct relationship between commonly used radiological grading scales of lumbar DDD with clinical outcome. Therefore, no prognosis should be made on the grounds of preoperative PFI and MOD classifications for patients undergoing spine surgery for lumbar DDD.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.JOCN.2015.03.054
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to add to the current body of literature which is aimed at establishing the role of postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) in the treatment of atypical and malignant meningiomas. Meningiomas are the most frequently reported primary intracranial tumours, accounting for more than 35%. The majority of meningiomas are benign, with atypical and malignant tumours accounting for only 6-18%. Utilising a prospective multi-institutional database, we retrospectively reviewed 67 patients with documented World Health Organisation (WHO) Grade II/III meningiomas, diagnosed between 1989 and 2012 and resected at two major Australian hospitals. Nine patients were excluded and the remaining 58 were analysed. The patient demographics, tumour characteristics, surgical details and adjuvant therapy were retrieved. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to compare the survival of patients treated with RT versus surgery alone. The 3 year progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 44 and 76% for the entire cohort, respectively. Of the patients who had gross total resections, 42% had 3 years PFS and 77% had 3 years OS, which was not significantly different from those with subtotal resection. The overall median survival was 11.0 years, 12.2 for atypical and 1.6 for malignant meningiomas. The patients with malignant meningiomas were 14 times as likely to receive RT as the patients with atypical meningiomas. The patients who received RT had a 3 year PFS of 63% compared to 40% in those who did not receive radiation. The 3 year OS was 31% higher for females than males. Histopathological progression was noted in 17% of our cohort. This study reinforces a number of important factors that should be considered when treating patients presenting with WHO Grade II and III meningiomas, including sex, potential for grade progression, and the lack of evidence for adjuvant RT and the timing thereof.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-07-2023
DOI: 10.5694/MJA2.52019
Abstract: To estimate the effectiveness of vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) for protecting people in a largely coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19)‐naïve regional population from hospitalisation with symptomatic COVID‐19. Retrospective cohort study analysis of positive SARS‐CoV‐2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results linked with Central Queensland hospitals admissions data and Australian Immunisation Register data. Adult residents of Central Queensland, 1 January – 31 March 2022. Vaccine effectiveness (1 – relative risk of hospitalisation for vaccinated and unvaccinated people) with respect to protecting against hospitalisation with symptomatic COVID‐19 after primary vaccination course only (two doses of an approved SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine) and after a booster vaccine dose. Positive SARS‐CoV‐2 test results were recorded during 1 January – 31 March 2022 for 9682 adults, 7244 of whom had been vaccinated (75%) 5929 people were aged 40 years or younger (62%), 5180 were women (52%). Forty‐seven people were admitted to hospital with COVID‐19 (0.48%), four required intensive care (0.04%) there were no in‐hospital deaths. Vaccine effectiveness was 69.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 44.3–83.8%) for people who had received only a primary vaccination course and 81.8% (95% CI, 39.5–94.5%) for people who had also received a booster. Of the 665 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults with positive SARS‐CoV‐2 test results, 401 had been vaccinated (60%). Six Indigenous people were hospitalised with symptomatic COVID‐19 (0.9%) vaccine effectiveness was 69.4% (95% CI, –56.5% to 95.8%) for Indigenous people who had received a primary vaccination course only or the primary course and a booster. The hospitalisation rate for Central Queensland people with PCR‐confirmed Omicron variant SARS‐CoV‐2 infections during the first quarter of 2022 was low, indicating the protection afforded by vaccination and the value of booster vaccine doses.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2014
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 10-2013
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 11-05-2018
Abstract: The exact relationship between delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and neuropsychological impairment remains unknown, as previous studies lacked a baseline examination after aneurysm occlusion but before the DCI-period. Neuropsychological evaluation of acutely ill patients is often applied in a busy intensive care unit (ICU), where distraction represents a bias to the obtained results. To evaluate the relationship between DCI and neuropsychological outcome after aSAH by comparing the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) results in aSAH patients with and without DCI at 3 mo with a baseline examination before the DCI-period (part 1). To determine the reliability of the MoCA, when applied in an ICU setting (part 2). Prospective, multicenter, and observational study performed at all Swiss neurovascular centers. For part 1, n = 240 consecutive aSAH patients and for part 2, n = 50 patients with acute brain injury are recruited. Part 1: Effect size of the relationship between DCI and neuropsychological outcome (MoCA). Part 2: Reliability measures for the MoCA. The institutional review boards approved this study on July 4, 2017 under case number BASEC 2017-00103. After completion, the results will be offered to an international scientific journal for peer-reviewed publication. This study determines the exact impact of DCI on the neuropsychological outcome after aSAH, unbiased by confounding factors such as early brain injury or patient-specific characteristics. The study provides unique insights in the neuropsychological state of patients in the early period after aSAH.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-03-2014
DOI: 10.1007/S00701-014-2070-4
Abstract: It is a well-established dogma that many surgeons do not reach a quintessential level of their technical operative skills until successful completion of their training program. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that early introduction of supervised residents to non-complex spinal surgical procedures within a structured and supervised educational program does not harm the patient in terms of higher complication rates or worse pain- and health-related quality of life (HrQOL) outcomes. A prospective study on 102 patients undergoing surgery for lumbar disc herniation (LDH) was performed. The procedures were dichotomized into two groups according to the surgeon's level of experience: teaching cases (neurosurgical residents in the 1st to 4th year of training) and non-teaching cases (experienced board-certified faculty neurosurgeons). Pain levels (VAS) and the HrQOL using the 12-item short-form health survey (SF-12) were measured at baseline, at 4 weeks and as a survey at 1 year postoperatively. In addition, data concerning the operation and the postoperative course including common complications were assessed. Intraoperative blood loss, length of surgery, as well as intra- and postoperative complications were similar between the study groups. Patients in both groups achieved equal results in terms of pain reduction after 4 weeks [mean VAS change -3.8 (teaching cases) vs. -3.1 (non-teaching cases), p = 0.25] and 1 year postoperatively [mean change in VAS -3.5 (teaching cases) vs. -3.37 (non-teaching cases), p = 0.84]. Teaching cases were 100 % (odds ratio of 1.00) as likely as non-teaching cases to achieve a favorable HrQOL response to surgery (p = 0.99). Early introduction of resident surgeons to lumbar microdiscectomy can be conducted safely within a structured and supervised educational program as it neither harms the patient nor leads to worse 1-year results. Surgical resident education may thus be implemented safely in times of rigorous working laws. However, a structured education program in which the senior surgeon gives advice, guidance and communicates cautions during each resident surgery is of paramount importance to provide high-quality patient care.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 23-02-2015
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-08-2016
DOI: 10.1007/S00701-016-2899-9
Abstract: The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is a reliable tool for evaluating objective functional impairment (OFI) in patients with degenerative disc disease before a surgical intervention. The aim of this study is to assess the validity of the TUG test to measure change in function postoperatively. In a prospective two-center study, OFI was assessed by the TUG test in patients scheduled for lumbar spine surgery, as well as 3 days (D3) and 6 weeks (W6) postoperatively. At each time point, the TUG test results were correlated with established subjective measures of pain intensity (visual analogue scale (VAS) for back and leg pain), functional impairment (Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL Short Form-12 (SF12)). The patient cohort comprised 136 patients with a mean age of 57.7 years 76 were males, 54 had a microdiscectomy for lumbar disc herniation, 58 a decompression for a lumbar spinal stenosis, 24 had a surgical fusion procedure. The mean OFI t-score was 125.1 before surgery, and as patients improved on the subjective measures in the postoperative interval, the OFI t-score likewise decreased to 118.8 (D3) and 103.4 (W6). The Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) between the OFI t-score and VAS leg pain was 0.187 preoperatively (p = 0.029) and 0.252 at W6 (p = 0.003). The PCC between OFI t-score and the ODI was 0.324 preoperatively (p < 0.001) and 0.413 at W6 (p < 0.001). The PCC between OFI t-score and physical HRQoL (SF12) was -0.091 preoperatively (p = 0.293) and -0.330 at W6 (p < 0.001). The TUG test is sensitive to change, and reflects the postoperative functional outcome even more exact than preoperatively, as indicated by better correlation coefficients of the OFI t-score with subjective measures of pain intensity, functional impairment and HRQoL.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 04-2013
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 03-07-2019
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-08-2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-05-2014
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-07-2018
DOI: 10.1007/S10143-017-0877-1
Abstract: Postoperative wound healing can pose a problem in patients undergoing instrumented surgery for pyogenic spondylodiscitis. Robotic guidance allows the minimally invasive placement of pedicle screws in the thoracolumbar spine. We assessed whether using this technique to perform minimally invasive surgery had an impact on wound healing in patients with pyogenic spondylodiscitis when compared to conventional open fluoroscopy-guided surgery. We reviewed charts of 206 consecutive patients who underwent instrumentation for pyogenic spondylodiscitis. The need for wound revision was the primary outcome measure. Patient variables and comorbidities as well as surgical technique (robotic versus fluoroscopy-guided) were analyzed. We also compared fluoroscopy times between the two groups. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of wound breakdown. A total of 206 patients underwent surgery for spondylodiscitis. Robotic surgical assistance was used for percutaneous instrumentation in 47.6% of cases (n = 98). Wound healing problems requiring revision occurred in 30 out of 206 patients (14.6%). Univariate analysis revealed a potential association of wound breakdown with (1) robotic technique, (2) age > 70 years, and (3) the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. After multivariate correction however, only robotic technique retained significance with an odds ratio of 0.39 (CI 95% 0.16-0.94 p = 0.035). Wound revision was required in eight out of 98 patients (8.1%) in the robot group and 22/108 (20%) in the conventional surgery group. Fluoroscopy times were significantly lower in the robot group with a mean of 123 ± 86 s in comparison with a mean of 157 ± 99 s in the conventional group (p = 0.014). While initially designed to improve the accuracy of pedicle screw placement, robot-assisted minimally invasive technique had a tangible effect on both radiation exposure and the rate of wound breakdown in patients with pyogenic spondylodiscitis in our large single-center study.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 08-04-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.WNEU.2018.01.121
Abstract: An onsite access to neurointerventional radiology (NIR) may be useful for managing patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) after the aneurysm-securing procedure. We aimed to assess the association between neurological outcomes related to aSAH and onsite access to NIR service. This was a sequential period study of 47 patients with aSAH admitted consecutively during the pre-NIR period (January 2010 to June 2012) compared with 81 patients with aSAH admitted consecutively during the post-NIR period (January 2013 to June 2015) at an academic tertiary referral intensive care unit (ICU). The primary end point was the incidence of poor neurological outcome, defined as modified Rankin scale of ≥3 at 6 months from ictus. Secondary outcomes included incidence of symptomatic vasospasm (SV) and length of stay in ICU/hospital. The primary end point was observed in 18 of 47 (38%) patients during the pre-NIR period versus 25 of 81 (31%) patients during the post-NIR period (P = 0.39). The post-NIR period did not have an independent impact on neurological outcomes (adjusted odds ratio = 0.8, 95% confidence interval 0.3-2.1 P = 0.66). Of the patients who developed SV, 10 of 47 (21%) were during the pre-NIR period versus 33 of 81 (41%) during the post-NIR period (P = 0.02). The post-NIR period and higher Fisher grade were independent predictors of SV. Patients with SV had similar outcomes, but with longer stay in ICU during the post-NIR period compared with the pre-NIR period. Among patients with aSAH, the post-NIR period was associated with more frequent detection of SV, more endovascular procedures, longer hospital stay, but with no appreciable improvement in neurological outcomes either overall or in the subset of patients with SV. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12616000201471.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.WNEU.2015.07.030
Abstract: To review the outcomes of noninstrumented lumbar spine surgery performed by trainees as primary operators versus the outcomes of surgery performed by board-certified faculty neurosurgeons. This prospective observational study involved patients undergoing noninstrumented surgery for lumbar disc herniation or lumbar spinal stenosis with a 4.5-year follow-up. Teaching cases (patients were operated on by neurosurgical residents in training) and nonteaching cases (patients were operated on by board-certified faculty neurosurgeons) were reviewed. Back and leg pain on a visual analog scale, functional disability using the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire and Oswestry Disability Index, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) using the 12-Item Short Form Survey and EuroQol 5D were assessed, and reoperations since the index surgery were recorded. Questionnaires were returned by 30 patients operated on by residents and 74 patients operated on by board-certified faculty neurosurgeons. On the 12-Item Short Form Survey physical component scale metric, teaching cases were 70% as likely as nonteaching cases (odds ratio = 0.70, 95% confidence interval = 0.25-1.98, P = 0.585) to achieve a favorable HRQOL response to surgery. Visual analog scale measures of back and leg pain were similar for teaching and nonteaching cases. The same was true for functional disability as measured by the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire and Oswestry Disability Index and for HRQOL measured by the EuroQol 5D. The reoperation rate 4.5 years after the index surgery was also similar for both groups (∼ 10% for both groups). The global outcome, as measured by HRQOL response after a mean follow-up of 4.5 years, was similar for teaching and nonteaching cases. Patients from both groups scored virtually equal results on various pain, functional, and HRQOL metrics, and the reoperation rate was similar.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.CLINEURO.2016.01.024
Abstract: A myriad of negative bodily health effects related to tobacco smoking is known while its detrimental effects on the spine in particular are less defined. The goal of the current study is to compare long-term outcome between smokers and non-smokers after non-instrumented lumbar spine surgery. Prospective observational study on n=172 consecutive patients undergoing non-instrumented spine surgery for lumbar disc herniation (LDH) or lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) with a follow-up (FU) of 4.5 years. Patients were dichotomized according to their smoking status at the time of surgery. Back pain and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Short-Form (SF)-12. Any subsequent lumbar spine surgeries since the index surgery were registered. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the effect size of the relationship between smoking and the responder status to surgery in terms of pain and HRQoL-metrics. Complete FU data was available for n=29 (55%) smokers and n=75 (63%) non-smokers. At discharge, 1 month, 1 year and 4.5 years, smokers were as likely as non-smokers to achieve a favourable response to surgery in terms of VAS back pain and the SF-12 mental and physical component scale metric. A subgroup analysis on active smokers throughout the entire study interval did not find an inferior responder rate than in never-smokers. A trend for additional lumbar spine surgery performed in 17.2% of the smoking and 8.2% of the non-smoking patients during FU was observed (OR 2.39, 95% CI 0.67-8.57, p=0.179). Up to 4.5 years following non-instrumented lumbar spine surgery, there was no difference in the pain or HRQoL-responder status of smokers and non-smokers. Smokers may be more likely to undergo re-do surgery in the long term, but more data is needed to confirm this statistical trend.
Publisher: S. Karger AG
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1159/000339319
Abstract: b i Background and Purpose: /i /b This study presents a statistical model to explore the presence of a population-based cure fraction in populations with a GBM. b i Patients and Methods: /i /b Data for this study was obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Results (SEER) database. Relative survival measures were modelled using non-mixture cure fraction models. b i Results: /i /b The extraction and subsequent period modeling of the dataset resulted in a final total of 11,189 patients and a total of 10,289 years of patient follow-up (between 2001 and 2006). The cure fraction of young adults is expected to be 12% (95% CI 7–16), which is estimated to occur at a minimum time of 10 years post diagnosis. b i Interpretation: /i /b The data, using population-based cure fraction models, indicate that a possibility for cure appears to be present in the young adult population, and occurs at 10 years after diagnosis. Because of the biological and statistical features of this patient population, it is appropriate to study GBM populations using cure fraction models.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.JOCN.2012.04.009
Abstract: Medulloblastomas (MB) and primitive neurectodermal tumours (PNET) are known to affect children more than adults. To estimate the magnitude of the differences between the incidence of adults and children, the incidence rates, ratios and time trends of MB and PNET in children and adults are measured using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Results (SEER) database. Between 1973 and 2007 in the SEER 9 registries, 1372 people were diagnosed with a MB and 530 with a PNET. The overall incidence rate of MB and PNET is approximately 1.5 and 0.62 per million population in the USA. Children (1-9 years of age) with MB had an incidence rate of 6.0, compared to 0.6 in adults, and therefore children are 10 times more likely to be affected by an MB than adults. Children are 4.6 times as likely to be afflicted by a PNET than adults. The difference in incidence rates based on sex existed only in children. Our study confirmed that the incidence rates of MB has not changed over time.
Publisher: Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group (JNSPG)
Date: 08-2016
DOI: 10.3171/2015.10.PEDS14413
Abstract: Like adults, many children suffering from intractable seizures benefit from surgical therapy. Although various reports indicate that early intervention may avoid severe developmental consequences often associated with intractable epilepsy, surgery is still considered a last option for many children. In this retrospective study, the authors aimed to determine whether pediatric epilepsy surgery, in particular during the first years of life, relates to measurable benefits. Data from 78 patients (age range 5 months to 17 years) who underwent epilepsy surgery at the Geneva and Lausanne University Hospitals between 1997 and 2012 were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were dichotomized into 2 groups: infants (≤ 3 years of age, n = 19), and children/adolescents (4–17 years of age, n = 59). Compared with children/adolescents, infants more often had a diagnosis of dysplasia (37% vs 10%, respectively p 0.05, chi-square test). The overall seizure-free rate was 76.9%, with 89.5% in infants and 72.9% in the children/adolescents group. Infants were 2.76 times as likely to achieve seizure-free status as children/adolescents. Postoperative antiepileptic medication was reduced in 67.9% of patients. Only 11.4% of the patients were taking more than 2 antiepileptic drugs after surgery, compared with 43% before surgery (p 0.0001). The overall complication rate was 15.1% (6.4% transient hemiparesis), and no major complications or deaths occurred. The data show a high seizure-free rate in children ≤ 3 years of age, despite a higher occurrence of dysplastic, potentially ill-defined lesions. Pediatric patients undergoing epilepsy surgery can expect a significant reduction in their need for medication. Given the excellent results in the infant group, prospective studies are warranted to determine whether age ≤ 3 years is a predictor for excellent surgical outcome.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.BJPS.2015.03.015
Abstract: Barbed sutures have unidirectional circumferential shallow barbs, which distribute tension throughout the wound and close wound securely without the need to tie knots. We compare two different methods of wound closure in elective plastic surgical cases: barbed 3/0 V-Loc™180 suture and smooth 3/0 Maxon™ sutures, both polyglyconate monofilament synthetic absorbable sutures. We assessed the aesthetic long-term results with a minimum two year follow up. This is a prospective, randomized controlled study with internal control. A single surgeon performed all cases. Patients who underwent elective operations that involved long wound closure were enrolled in the study. Each patient acted as their own internal control with half their wound being sutured with 3/0 V-Loc™180 barbed suture and the other half with smooth 3/0 Maxon™ deep dermal sutures and then a subcuticular skin closure. In both groups, the superficial fascial system was closed with 1 Vicryl interrupted sutures on both sides. Long-term cosmesis was evaluated using the modified Hollander cosmesis score by review of standardized postoperative photographs by 9 blinded plastic surgeons and specialist registrars. The study reports on 33 female patients. The time taken for wound closure was significantly reduced using the barbed suture (p < 0.001). There was no difference in the complication ratio in either group. Two-year aesthetic outcome was significantly superior when using the barbed suture (p = 0.0075). Barbed sutures closure of long wounds is faster and produces a better long-term aesthetic outcome than smooth sutures.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-02-2014
DOI: 10.1007/S00701-014-2026-8
Abstract: Accurate placement of an external ventricular drain (EVD) for the treatment of hydrocephalus is of paramount importance for its functionality and in order to minimize morbidity and complications. The aim of this study was to compare two different drain insertion assistance tools with the traditional free-hand anatomical landmark method, and to measure efficacy, safety and precision. Ten cadaver heads were prepared by opening large bone windows centered on Kocher's points on both sides. Nineteen physicians, ided in two groups (trainees and board certified neurosurgeons) performed EVD insertions. The target for the ventricular drain tip was the ipsilateral foramen of Monro. Each participant inserted the external ventricular catheter in three different ways: 1) free-hand by anatomical landmarks, 2) neuronavigation-assisted (NN), and 3) XperCT-guided (XCT). The number of ventricular hits and dangerous trajectories time to proceed radiation exposure of patients and physicians distance of the catheter tip to target and size of deviations projected in the orthogonal plans were measured and compared. Insertion using XCT increased the probability of ventricular puncture from 69.2 to 90.2 % (p = 0.02). Non-assisted placements were significantly less precise (catheter tip to target distance 14.3 ± 7.4 mm versus 9.6 ± 7.2 mm, p = 0.0003). The insertion time to proceed increased from 3.04 ± 2.06 min. to 7.3 ± 3.6 min. (p < 0.001). The X-ray exposure for XCT was 32.23 mSv, but could be reduced to 13.9 mSv if patients were initially imaged in the hybrid-operating suite. No supplementary radiation exposure is needed for NN if patients are imaged according to a navigation protocol initially. This ex vivo study demonstrates a significantly improved accuracy and safety using either NN or XCT-assisted methods. Therefore, efforts should be undertaken to implement these new technologies into daily clinical practice. However, the accuracy versus urgency of an EVD placement has to be balanced, as the image-guided insertion technique will implicate a longer preparation time due to a specific image acquisition and trajectory planning.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.CLINEURO.2013.09.038
Abstract: Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) remains a major cause of death and disability worldwide. The aim of the study was to evaluate predictors for neurological and neuropsychological long-term outcome in patients with severe TBI treated according to an intracranial pressure (ICP-) targeted therapy. From 08/2005 to 12/2008, 46 patients with severe TBI and more than 12h of intensive care treatment were included in this study. Neurological outcome was assessed with the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). Neuropsychological performance assessing 9 different domains was evaluated at long-term follow-up (median 20.5 months range 10-46). Logistic regression was used to identify favourable outcomes according to the GOS and Fisher's exact tests were used to identify predictors of severe neuropsychological impairments at follow-up. Twenty-nine patients were available for neuropsychological assessment at long-term follow-up. Only 2 out of 29 patients presented normal or average neuropsychological findings throughout all 9 neuropsychological domains at long-term follow-up. The percentage of a favourable outcome (GOS 4-5) increased from 13.8% at hospital discharge to 75.8% at rehabilitation discharge to 79.3% at long-term follow-up, respectively. Age ≤40 was found to be a strong predictor of favourable outcome at follow-up (OR 5.95, 95% CI 1.41 25.00, p=0.015). The GOS at hospital discharge was not a predictor for severe impairments in any of the 9 different neuropsychological domains (all p-values were p>0.268). In contrast, the GOS at rehabilitation discharge was found to be a predictor of severe impairments at follow-up in all but one domain assessed (all p-values less than p<0.038). The GOS at rehabilitation discharge should be regarded as a better predictor for neuropsychological impairments at long-term follow-up than the GOS at hospital discharge. Even in patients with favourable GOS after finishing a course of rehabilitation, three quarters of these patients may have at least one severe neuropsychological deficit. Therefore, it remains of paramount importance to provide long-term neuropsychological support to further improve outcome after TBI.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 02-11-2021
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0259145
Abstract: There is a large burden of norovirus disease in child-care centers in Australia and around the world. Despite the ubiquity of norovirus outbreaks in child-care centers, little is known about the extent of this burden within the child-care center and the surrounding household clusters. Therefore, we performed an in-depth analysis of a gastroenteritis outbreak to examine the patterns of transmissions, household attack rates and the basic reproduction number (R 0 ) for Norovirus in a child-care facility. We used data from parental interviews of suspected cases sent home with gastroenteritis at a child-care center between 24 th of August and 18 th of September 2020. A total of 52 persons in 19 household clusters were symptomatic in this outbreak investigation. Of all transmissions, 23 (46.9%) occurred in the child-care center, the rest occurring in households. We found a household attack rate of 36.5% (95% CI 27.3, 47.1%). Serial intervals were estimated as mean 2.5 ± SD1.45 days. The R 0 , using time-dependent methods during the growth phase of the outbreak (days 2 to 8) was 2.4 (95% CI 1.50, 3.50). The count of affected persons of a child-care center norovirus outbreak is approximately double the count of the total symptomatic staff and attending children. In the study setting, each symptomatic child-care attendee likely infected one other child-care attendee or staff and just over one household contact on average.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2020
DOI: 10.1016/J.EJSO.2019.10.016
Abstract: Breast cancer liver metastases (BCLM) is considered a systemic disease with poorly defined selection criteria for surgery and little evidence for the appropriate timing of surgery. Postoperative outcomes of patients operated for BCLM were retrospectively reviewed and compared based on the timing of surgery, with the early surgery (ES) group treated ≤12 months after BCLM diagnosis, and late surgery (LS) group operated >12 months after diagnosis. Seventy-two patients with BCLM underwent liver surgery, including 37 and 35 in the ES and LS groups, respectively. Demographic and preoperative characteristics were similar between the groups, except that multifocal liver disease was more frequent in the LS group (p = 0.008). The LS group had a morbidity rate of 38%, compared to 11% in the ES group (p = 0.015). No postoperative deaths occurred. In the whole cohort, median progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 19 and 50 months, respectively, and 1-, 3- and 5-year PFS and OS were 63%, 41%, 24% and 93%, 66%, 43%, respectively, with no significant difference observed between the ES and LS groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that breast cancer progesterone receptor negativity (HR = 3.34, p = 0.03) and a size of LM > 40 mm (HR = 3.11, p = 0.01) were significant negative prognostic factors for PFS. Only a size of LM > 40 mm (HR = 2.79, p = 0.008) was significantly associated with shorter OS. A prolonged preoperative observational period does not improve long-term outcomes after liver surgery in patients with resectable BCLM, suggesting that early management can safely be proposed to those patients, with good oncological outcomes.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-08-2020
DOI: 10.1111/ANS.16209
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.WNEU.2016.11.060
Abstract: Numerous studies assessed the effects of smoking on lumbar degenerative disk disease (DDD) they focused on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and yielded conflicting results. In this 2-center study on consecutive patients receiving surgical treatment for lumbar DDD, subjective functional impairment (SFI) in terms of PROMs including visual analog scale back and leg pain, Roland-Morris, Oswestry Disability Index, Euro-Qol-5D, and a Short-Form 12 physical component summary was determined at baseline, 3 days, 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. Age- and sex-adjusted T-scores of objective functional impairment (OFI) were determined using the Timed Up and Go test up to 6 weeks postoperatively. The responder status was defined by the minimal clinically important difference. We analyzed 375 patients (n = 96 [25.6%] smokers and n = 279 [74.4%] nonsmokers). SFI on any of the PROMs before treatment was similar in smokers and nonsmokers. Smokers were more likely to have OFI in univariate logistic regression analysis (95% confidence interval 1.31-3.37, P = 0.002). In multivariate analysis, however, this relationship became insignificant (95% confidence interval 0.85-2.38, P = 0.184). The smoking status had no predictive capacity on the 6-week SFI or OFI responder status, and there were no differences in any of the PROMs until the 1-year follow-up. PROMs measuring SFI for pain intensity, functional impairment, and health-related quality of life were similar in smokers and nonsmokers before surgery for lumbar DDD, as well as postoperatively. The smoking status has negligible impact on the Timed Up and Go test, which appears to be a robust assessment tool for OFI.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1002/CA.20893
Abstract: The deep gluteal region is often encountered when performing injections, when performing surgery such as total hip replacements, or diagnosing problems of this region or lower limbs using clinical or imaging techniques. Previously, the prevalence figures of piriformis and sciatic nerve anomalies have ranged from 1.5 to 35.8% in dissected specimens. This study systematically reviews and meta-analyses the prevalence of piriformis and sciatic nerve anomalies in humans using previously published literature. A further review is conducted regarding the anatomical abnormalities present in surgical case series of procedures for patients suffering from piriformis syndrome. After pooling the results of 18 studies and 6,062 cadavers, the prevalence of the anomaly in cadavers was 16.9% 95% confidence interval (CI) 16.0-17.9%. The prevalence of the piriformis and sciatic nerve anomaly in the surgical case series was 16.2%, 95% CI: 10.7-23.5%. The difference between the two groups was not found to be significant 0.74% 95% CI: -5.66 to 7.13 P = 0.824. Because of the high likelihood of an anomaly being present in a patient, clinicians and surgeons should be aware of the potential complications this anomaly may have on medical or surgical interventions. Furthermore, because the prevalence of the anomaly in piriformis syndrome patients is not significantly different from what is thought to be a normal population, it indicates that this anomaly may not be as important in the pathogenesis of piriformis syndrome as previously thought.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-01-2012
DOI: 10.1007/S00266-011-9860-3
Abstract: Breast reduction is a common procedure used to improve physical and aesthetic factors associated with breast hypertrophy. This study investigated how surgical technique alone affects the risk factors for complications and profiled differences between techniques. Complications were assessed by the use of time-to-event methods. Patient information was extracted from a cohort of 283 patients. Demographic, surgical, and follow-up information was analyzed for patients undergoing surgical procedures using the inferior pedicle Wise pattern (IPWP) and modified Hall-Findlay (MHF) techniques. The patients managed with the IPWP technique were considered control subjects. The failure rates were described using the Kaplan-Meier failure estimator to provide a true estimate of the experienced complication rates. Overall, few differences were noted between the groups except for total tissue removed. The overall failure (complication) rate at 6 months was 18.8%, with 9% of all the patients experiencing a major complication that required operative intervention/revision. As expected, the period with the greatest risk of complication was the first month after surgery. Surgical technique, total tissue removed, and age were nonpredictive of complications. Overall, the IPWP group had significantly more total tissue removed than the MHF group (median difference, 227 g P=0.002). There was no evidence of a learning curve when an experienced surgeon moved from the one technique to the other. At 6 months after surgery, 19% of patients are expected to have experienced a complication. There appears to be few differences in outcomes between the techniques of breast reductions used, and the success or otherwise almost certainly relates to factors independent of surgical technique and includes patient selection, operative skill, and experience. Time-to-event analysis provides a precise assessment and description of the complication profile. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors at 0266.
Publisher: Hogrefe Publishing Group
Date: 06-2013
DOI: 10.1024/1661-8157/A001341
Abstract: Wir berichten über einen Fall von aseptischer Osteonekrose einer Kranioplastie nach dekompressiver Kraniektomie, die eine bekannte, jedoch seltene Komplikation einer autologen Kranioplastie darstellt. Wir nehmen an, dass eine aseptische Osteonekrose nach autologer Kranioplastie auf ähnlichen pathophysiologischen Grundlagen basiert, wie die Nekrose der Lappenplastik in der ästhetischen Chirurgie. Hauptverursacher der aseptischen Knochennekrose sind prothrombotisch wirksame Gewebsfaktoren, die zu einer venösen Gefässthrombose des autologen Knocheninterponats mit nachfolgender Ischämie führen. Auffällige Lokalbefunde wie eine Wunddehiszenz oder -sekretion sollten Anlass zu einer kranialen Computertomographie geben um, basierend auf der klinisch-radiologischen Befundkonstellation, die Indikation für eine prophylaktische artifizielle Zweitkranioplastie zu diskutieren.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-10-2013
DOI: 10.1007/S12975-013-0292-Z
Abstract: Pneumonia is a significant medical complication following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). The aSAH may initiate immune interactions leading to depressed immunofunction, followed by an increased risk of infection. It remains unclear as to whether there is a possible association between cerebral metabolism and infections. Clinical and microdialysis data from aSAH patients prospectively included in the CoOperative Study on Brain Injury Depolarisations protocol Berlin were analyzed. Levels of glucose, lactate, pyruvate, and glutamate were measured hourly using microdialysis in the cerebral extracellular fluid. The occurrence of pneumonia (defined by positive microbiological cultures) and delayed ischemic neurological deficits (DIND) was documented prospectively. Eighteen aSAH patients (52.7 ± 10.7 years), classified according to the World Federation of Neurological Surgeons in low (I-III, n = 9) and high (IV-V, n = 9) grades, were studied. Eight patients (45%) experienced DIND, 10 patients (56%) pneumonia (mean onset day 2.6). Lactate was elevated at day 3 in infected patients (n = 9, median = 6.82 mmol/L) vs. patient without infections (n = 6, median = 2.90 mmol/L, p = 0.036). The optimum cut-off point to predict pneumonia at day 3 was 3.57 mmol/L with a sensitivity of 0.77, and a specificity of 0.66 (area under curve was 0.833 with p = 0.034). Lactate at day 7 was higher in DIND patients compared to no-DIND-patients (p = 0.016). Early elevated lactate correlated with occurrence of bacterial pneumonia, while late elevations with DIND after aSAH. Future investigations may elucidate the relationship between cerebral lactate and markers of immunocompetence and more detailed to identify patients with higher susceptibility for infections.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.JSTROKECEREBROVASDIS.2017.03.020
Abstract: Patients with acute ischemic stroke and large vessel occlusion (LVO) may benefit from prehospital identification and transfer to a center offering endovascular therapy. We aimed to assess the accuracy of an existing 8-item stroke scale (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale-8 [NIHSS-8]) for identification of patients with acute stroke with LVO. We retrospectively calculated NIHSS-8 scores in a population of consecutive patients with presumed acute stroke assessed by emergency medical services (EMS). LVO was identified on admission computed tomography angiography. Accuracy to identify LVO was calculated using receiver operating characteristics analysis. We used weighted Cohen's kappa statistics to assess inter-rater reliability for the NIHSS-8 score between the EMS and the hospital stroke team on a prospectively evaluated subgroup. Of the 551 included patients, 381 had a confirmed ischemic stroke and 136 patients had an LVO. NIHSS scores were significantly higher in patients with LVO (median 18 interquartile range 14-22). The NIHSS-8 score reliably predicted the presence of LVO (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve .82). The optimum NIHSS-8 cutoff of 8 or more had a sensitivity of .81, specificity of .75, and Youden index of .56 for prediction of LVO. The EMS and the stroke team reached substantial agreement (κ = .69). Accuracy of the NIHSS-8 to identify LVO in a population of patients with suspected acute stroke is comparable to existing prehospital stroke scales. The scale can be performed by EMS with reasonable reliability. Further validation in the field is needed to assess accuracy of the scale to identify patients with LVO eligible for endovascular treatment in a prehospital setting.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 13-01-2017
No related grants have been discovered for Nicolas Smoll.