The Use of MRI in Preoperative Decision-Making for Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Single-Center Study.

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have examined associations between vascular compression and postoperative pain relief in patients undergoing microvascular decompression (MVD) for treatment of medically refractory type 1 trigeminal neuralgia (TN). The authors sought to examine for associations between vascular compression and postoperative pain relief to determine the utility of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in surgical decision-making for TN. METHODS: The charts of 59 patients who underwent 60 MVDs for TN between 2007 and 2017 at a single academic institution were reviewed. Patient demographics, the presence of compressing vessel on preoperative MRI and intraoperatively, complications, follow-up time, performance of a partial sensory rhizotomy, and pain resolution at most recent follow-up were recorded. Sensitivity and specificity of MRI for detecting vascular compression were calculated and associations between preoperative and intraoperative evidence of vascular compression with postoperative pain relief were examined. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity of preoperative MRI determined through blinded reads by the senior author were 65.3% (95% confidence interval, 13.5-32.0) and 90.9% (95% confidence interval, 86.1-100.0), respectively. Overall, 76.3% of patients were pain free at most recent follow-up. Preoperative MRI and intraoperative evidence of vascular compression were not associated with postoperative pain relief at most recent follow-up (P = 0.47 and 0.43, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of lower sensitivity and poor interrater reliability of MRI, as well as a lack of association between compressive vessel and postoperative pain relief reported in this study, suggest the decision to pursue MVD for TN should be based more heavily on classic symptomatic presentation over preoperative evidence of vascular compression.

Robotic Morgagni hernia repair: an emerging approach to a congenital defect.

Morgagni hernia (MH) is a rare, congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). The use of robotic surgery to repair MH in adults has recently been described in the literature, but only on two previous occasions. The objective of this report is to describe four cases of robotic repair of MH in adults performed by a single surgeon to better delineate an emerging approach to this rare condition. A retrospective review of patients who underwent robotic repair of MH by a single surgeon was performed. Four consecutive patients were identified and included. The median age of patients was 43 (range: 23-70). All patients had symptoms prior to diagnosis, including substernal chest pain (n = 3), dyspnea (n = 4), dysphagia (n = 1), and regurgitation (n = 1). All patients underwent hernia reduction, primary tissue repair, and mesh implant with minimal average estimated blood loss. All hernias were right sided, and the average length of surgery was 129.8 min. The average length of stay was 2 days. No intraoperative complications or 30-day postoperative complications were reported. Symptoms, including chest pain and dyspnea, resolved postoperatively for each patient. With this technique, robotic Morgagni hernia repair can be done with short operative time, few complications, and favorable length of stay. This operation takes advantage of the dexterity and wristed nature of the instruments; suturing of the diaphragmatic defect and mesh (performed on the "ceiling" of field) and incorporating pledgets into these sutures become straightforward endeavors when performed robotically. We have found the robotic platform useful for a transabdominal approach to Morgagni hernia repair.

Outcomes of Subdural Hematoma in the Elderly with a History of Minor or No Previous Trauma.

BACKGROUND: Subdural hematoma (SDH) in the elderly is an increasingly common entity because of increased use of antithrombotic medications, an aging population, and increasing frequency of geriatric trauma. The present study describes the functional outcomes and mortality of SDH in an elderly population and to identify potential prognostic factors. METHODS: Patients >65 years of age with SDH who were treated at our institution from 2005 to 2015 were identified. Patients with a history of preceding high-velocity trauma were excluded. Electronic medical records were retrospectively reviewed. The outcomes of interest were mortality, length of stay, and discharge Glasgow Outcome Score. RESULTS: A total of 671 patients were included in final statistical analyses. For patients with acute SDH, survival was 74.9%, 72.3%, and 69.8% at 30, 60, and 100 days, respectively. With respect to chronic SDH, survival was 87.0%, 83.7%, and 80.3% at 30, 60, and 100 days, respectively. On multivariate analysis, admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was significantly predictive of mortality in both the acute and chronic populations. In the acute cohort, admission GCS score was a significant predictor of increased length of stay, whereas age >80 years, admission GCS score, contusion volume >10 cm3, SDH volume >50 cm3, and antiplatelet use were significant predictors of discharge functional status. CONCLUSIONS: SDH in the elderly carries high morbidity and mortality and several prognostic factors were identified. These results can be used to guide discussions with family regarding prognosis and perhaps aid in treatment decisions.

Rational decision making in a wide scenario of different minimally invasive lumbar interbody fusion approaches and devices.

With the proliferation of a variety of modern MIS spine surgery procedures, it is mandatory that the surgeon dominate all aspects involved in surgical indication. The information related to the decision making in patient selection for specific procedures is mandatory for surgical success. The objective of this study is to present decision-making criteria in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) selection for a variety of patients and pathologies. In this article, practicing surgeons who specialize in various MIS approaches for spinal fusion were engaged to provide expert opinion and literature review on decision making criteria for several MIS procedures. Pros, cons, relative limitations, and case examples are provided for patient selection in treatment with MIS posterolateral fusion (MIS-PLF), mini anterior lumbar interbody fusion (mini-ALIF), lateral interbody fusion (LLIF), MIS posterior lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-PLIF) and MIS transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF). There is a variety of aspects to consider when deciding which modern MIS surgical approach is most appropriate to use based on patient and pathologic characteristics. The surgeon must adapt them to the characteristic of each type of patients, helping them to choose the most effective and efficient therapeutic option for each case.