Comprehensive Perioperative Approach to Complex Spine Deformity Management.

OBJECTIVE: Study perioperative strategies for optimizing neuroprotection in complex spine deformity correction surgery. METHODS: We report the case of a patient with severe lumbar dextroscoliosis, thoracolumbar junction hyperkyphosis with a 40-degree Cobb angle levoconvex scoliosis who underwent spinal deformity correction with loss of neuromonitoring during surgery. We performed a literature review on perioperative management of complex spine deformity. RESULTS: A 50-year-old man presented with lumbar pain and right L4 radiculopathy. Surgical intervention for deformity correction and decompression was indicated with T4-L4 posterior instrumentation L2/L3 and L3/L4 transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. Surgery was aborted due to the loss of neuromonitoring. Postsurgery, the patient had left sensory deficit and the neurocritical care team clinically suspected and deduced the anatomic location of the spinal cord compression. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a T10-T11 hyperintensity suggestive of cord ischemia due to osteophyte compressing the spinal cord. The patient underwent a second corrective surgery with no intraoperative events and has no long-term neurological sequela. CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates that a comprehensive perioperative approach and individualized risk factor assessment is useful in complex spine deformity surgery. Further research is needed to determine how this individualized comprehensive approach can lead to intraoperative and postoperative countermeasures that improved spine surgery outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V.

Intraoperative Seizure Detection During Active Resection of Glioblastoma Through a Novel Hollow Circular Electrocorticography Array.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Data supporting the use of electrocorticography (ECoG) monitoring during electrical stimulation in awake craniotomies for resection of supratentorial neoplasms is robust, but its applicability during active resection is often limited by the inability to keep the array in place. Given the known survival benefit of gross total resection in glioma surgery, novel approaches to surgical monitoring are warranted to maximize safe resection and optimize surgical outcomes in patients with glioblastoma. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 68-yr-old right-handed woman presented to the emergency department with confusion. Imaging studies revealed a bifrontal intra-axial brain lesion. She underwent a left-sided awake craniotomy procedure with cortical and subcortical mapping. During surgical resection, multiple electrographic seizures were detected on continuous ECoG monitoring with a customized 22-channel high-density hollow circular array. She remained without clinical evidence of seizures at 3 mo after surgery. CONCLUSION: We report a unique case of serial electrographic seizures detected during continuous intraoperative ECoG monitoring during active surgical resection of a glioblastoma using a novel circular hollow array during an awake craniotomy. The use of continuous ECoG monitoring during active resection may provide additional data, with potential influence in outcomes for patients undergoing resection of high-grade glial neoplasms.

Oxygen therapy via a noninvasive helmet: A COVID-19 novelty with potential post-pandemic uses.

COVID-19 has placed a significant strain upon healthcare resources at a global level and refractory hypoxemia is the leading cause of death among COVID-19 patients. The management of limited resources such as mechanical ventilators has remained a contentious issue both at an individual and institutional level since the beginning of the pandemic. As a result, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges to critical care practitioners to find innovative ways to provide supplemental oxygen therapy to their patients. We present a single-center experience: a case series of five COVID-19 infected patients managed with a novel approach to provide supplemental oxygen and positive end-expiration pressure (PEEP) via the helmet. Three of the five patients responded to therapy, did not require intubation, and survived to discharge. The other two patients continued to deteriorate clinically, required endotracheal intubation, and subsequently expired during their hospitalization. We extrapolated our accumulated experience with non-invasive oxygen support by helmet in COVID-19 patients to a non-COVID-19 postoperative patient who underwent sinus surgery and developed hypoxemic respiratory failure also resulting in avoidance of endotracheal intubation. We conclude that oxygen therapy via a helmet is a safe, cost-effective technique to prevent intubation in carefully selected patients with infectious and non-infectious causes of hypoxic respiratory failure. Our positive experience with the system warrants further large-scale study and possible technique refinement.

Awake minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with a pedicle-based retraction system.

OBJECTIVE: Recently there has been increasing interest in the use of regional anesthesia for minimally-invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) and laminectomy, with the goal of reducing the side effects and risks associated with general anesthesia and also to improve patient satisfaction. The goal of this technical note is to describe important perioperative aspects to safely perform an awake spine surgery and to describe a novel technique to preform minimally-invasive TLIF using a pedicle-based retraction system. METHODS: We report our patient selection criteria, perioperative anesthesia protocol and surgical technique for awake TLIF with the Maximum Access Surgery (MAS) TLIF Retraction System. We describe an illustrative case of a 66-year-old female that presented with leg pain, lumbar MRI revealed a grade one spondylolisthesis at L4-5 with severe canal stenosis. She underwent a L4-5 Awake MIS TLIF using the MAS TLIF Retraction System. RESULTS: The first 10 awake TLIF we performed with the MAS TLIF Retraction System had a mean procedure time of 117.3 min with a standard deviation (SD) of 13, and a mean total OR time of 151 min, SD 14.5. No surgery was converted under general anesthesia. No intraoperative complications were reported. Average length of stay was 1.3 ± 0.46 days. CONCLUSION: Awake MAS TLIF is a safe and effective technique, with the advantage of reducing the risk and side effect of general anesthesia and the approach-associated damage to soft tissues and morbidity. The pedicle-based distraction allows easier access to the intervertebral disc space for both disc preparation and cage placement.

Awake vs. asleep motor mapping for glioma resection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative stimulation (IS) mapping has become the preferred standard treatment for eloquent tumors as it permits a more accurate identification of functional areas, allowing surgeons to achieve higher extents of resection (EOR) and decrease postoperative morbidity. For lesions adjacent to the perirolandic area and descending motor tracts, mapping can be done with both awake craniotomy (AC) and under general anesthesia (GA). OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine which anesthetic protocol-AC vs. GA-provides better patient outcomes by comparing EOR and postoperative morbidity for surgeries using IS mapping in gliomas located near or in motor areas of the brain. METHODS: A systematic literature search was carried out to identify relevant studies from 1983 to 2019. Seven databases were screened. A total of 2351 glioma patients from 17 studies were analyzed. RESULTS: A random-effects meta-analysis revealed a trend towards a higher mean EOR in AC [90.1% (95% C.I. 85.8-93.8)] than with GA [81.7% (95% C.I. 72.4-89.7)] (p = 0.06). Neurological deficits were divided by timing and severity for analysis. There was no significant difference in early neurological deficits [20.9% (95% C.I. 4.1-45.0) vs. 25.4% (95% C.I. 13.6-39.2)] (p = 0.74), late neurological deficits [17.1% (95% C.I. 0.0-50.0) vs. 3.8% (95% C.I. 1.1-7.6)] (p = 0.06), or in non-severe [28.4% (95% C.I. 0.0-88.5) vs. 20.1% (95% C.I. 7.1-32.2)] (p = 0.72), and severe morbidity [2.6% (95% C.I. 0.0-15.5) vs. 4.5% (95% C.I. 1.1-9.6)] (p = 0.89) between patients who underwent AC versus GA, respectively. CONCLUSION: Mapping during resection of gliomas located in or near the perirolandic area and descending motor tracts can be safely carried out with both AC and GA.

Periodic focal epileptiform discharges.

OBJECTIVE: To report intraoperative periodic focal epileptiform discharges (PFEDs) during awake craniotomy using high-density electrocorticography (HD-ECoG). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 81 patients undergoing awake craniotomy between 9/29/2016 and 7/5/2018. Intraoperative HD-ECoG was performed with direct electrocortical stimulation (DECS) for functional brain mapping. Real-time interpretation was performed and compared to scalp EEG when performed. Perioperative seizures, surgical complications, and characteristics of PFEDs were assessed. RESULTS: 69/81 patients (mean age 48.5 years) underwent awake surgery; 55 operated for brain tumor, 11 for epilepsy and 3 for cavernomas. A focal abnormality on brain MRI was present in 63/69 (91.3%) patients. 43/69 (62.3%) patients had seizures preoperatively, 4/69 (5.7%) had seizures during DECS. PFEDs were identified in 11 patients (15.9%); 2 on depth recording and 9 during intraoperative HD-ECoG. 32 patients (46.3%) had preoperative EEG. HD-ECoG detected more epileptiform discharges (EDs) than standard EEG (32/43; 74.4% vs 9/32; 28.1%) (p = <0.001). Of 9/43 patients with PFEDs on HD-ECoG, 7 patients also had scalp EEG but only one case had EDs (p = 0.02), and 0/32 had periodic EDs. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative PFEDs are novel, highly focal EDs approximating a single gyrus. In patients with brain tumors, PFEDs did not demonstrate a relationship to pre-operative seizures though has similarities to other common waveforms in patients with epilepsy. SIGNIFICANCE: PFEDs expand our understanding of the interictal-ictal continuum and highlight improved temporo-spatial information obtained from increasing sensor density during intracranial EEG recording.

Surgical Management of Deep-Seated Metastatic Brain Tumors Using Minimally Invasive Approaches.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS/OBJECTIVE: Metastatic brain tumors are the most common type of adult brain tumors. Treatment involves surgery and/or radiation therapy. Surgery is typically reserved for patients with good neurologic function, solitary and accessible lesions, symptomatic lesions, and/or those with good systemic control of their primary cancer. Deep-seated lesions, however, are typically treated with palliative options including radiation and medical therapies. We summarize our personal experience with minimally invasive surgical approaches for these deep-seated metastatic brain tumors using tubular retractors with exoscopic visualization. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with deep-seated metastatic brain tumors who were operated on from January 2016 to December 2017 by the senior author were collected prospectively. "Deep seated" was defined as any subcortical location below the deepest adjacent sulcus in close proximity to the basal ganglia and/or thalamus. "Minimally invasive" was defined as the use of tubular retractors with exoscopic visualization. RESULTS: A total of 15 consecutive patients with an average ± standard deviation age of 63 ± 12 years underwent surgical resection of a deep-seated metastasis. The tumor was located in the centrum semiovale in seven (47%) (3 corticospinal tract, 2 superior longitudinal fasciculus, 1 visual tract, 1 inferior frontal occipital fasciculus), basal ganglia in three (20%), thalamus in two (13%), and cerebellum in three (20%). Median percentage resection was 100% (interquartile range:100-100%), and, following surgery, seven (47%), seven (47%), and one (7%) had an improved, stable, and worse Karnofsky Performance Score, respectively. No patients had notable local complications including stroke, infection, hemorrhage, and/or seizure. All patients underwent postoperative stereotactic radiosurgery. CONCLUSION: This minimally invasive approach can be used to achieve extensive resection with minimal morbidity for arguably the highest risk metastatic brain tumors.

Reducing Door-to-Reperfusion Time for Mechanical Thrombectomy With a Multitiered Notification System for Acute Ischemic Stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To reduce door-to-angiographic reperfusion (DTR) time to 120 minutes for patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke attributed to anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion amenable to endovascular mechanical thrombectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy before (April 10, 2015, through April 11, 2016) and after (April 12, 2016, through May 10, 2017) implementation of a multitiered notification system were studied. Lean process mapping was used to assess inefficiencies with multidisciplinary triage. A 3-tiered paging platform, which rapidly alerts essential personnel of the acute ischemic stroke team at advancing decision points, was introduced. RESULTS: Sixty-two patients were analyzed before and after implementation (34 vs 28, respectively). Following intervention, DTR time was reduced by 43 minutes (mean DTR, 170 minutes vs 127 minutes; P=.02). At 90-day follow up, 5 of the 28 patients in the postintervention cohort (19%) had excellent neurologic outcomes, defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 0, compared to 0 of 34 (0%) in the preintervention cohort (P=.89). Reductions were also seen in the length of stay on the neurocritical care service (mean, 6 vs 3 days; P=.006), and total hospital charges for combined groups (mean, $100,083 vs $161,458; P<.001). CONCLUSION: The multitiered notification system was a feasible solution for improving DTR within our institution, resulting in reductions of overall DTR time, neurocritical care service length of stay, and total hospital charges.

High-frequency oscillations in awake patients undergoing brain tumor-related epilepsy surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between high-frequency oscillations (HFOs) and the presence of preoperative seizures, World Health Organization tumor grade, and isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) mutational status in gliomas. METHODS: We retrospectively studied intraoperative electrocorticography recorded in 16 patients with brain tumor (12 presenting with seizures) who underwent awake craniotomy and surgical resection between September 2016 and June 2017. The number and distribution of HFOs were determined and quantified visually and with an automated HFO detector. RESULTS: Five patients had low-grade (1 with grade I and 4 with grade II) and 11 had high-grade (6 with grade III and 5 with grade IV) brain tumors. An IDH1 mutation was found in 6 patients. Patients with a history of preoperative seizures were more likely to have HFOs than those without preoperative seizures (9 of 12 vs 0 of 4, p = 0.02). The rate of HFOs was higher in patients with IDH1 mutant (mean 7.2 per minute) than IDH wild-type (mean 2.3 per minute) genotype (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: HFOs are common in brain tumor-related epilepsy, and HFO rate may be a useful measure of epileptogenicity in gliomas. Our findings further support the notion that IDH1 mutant genotype is more epileptogenic than IDH1 wild-type genotype gliomas.

Resource utilization and outcome in gravely ill intensive care unit patients with predicted in-hospital mortality rates of 95% or higher by APACHE III scores: the relationship with physician and family expectations.

OBJECTIVE: To assess resource utilization and outcome in gravely ill patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) and the potential association with health care workers' and family members' expectations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated ICU patients with a predicted in-hospital mortality rate of 95% or higher (PM95) using the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III (APACHE III) on 2 consecutive days. All patients were admitted to a single institution between September 30, 1994, and August 9, 2001. RESULTS: The APACHE III database contained data from 38,165 ICU patients during the study interval. Of these, 248 (0.65% of ICU admissions) achieved PM95 status and were included in the study. Between PM95 and hospital discharge, resource utilization (eg, blood transfusion, hemodialysis, surgery, and computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging) was extensive. A total of 23% of patients survived to hospital discharge, yet all but 1 were moderately or severely disabled. One year after achieving PM95, 10% (95% confidence interval, 7%-15%) of patients were alive. For 229 patients, the medical records contained physician documentation that indicated a likely fatal outcome. Thirty-six of these medical records documented unrealistic family expectations of a good outcome. The latter finding correlated with increased resource utilization without significant improvement in 1-year survival. In contrast, absence of physician documentation of a likely fatal outcome In 19 patients correlated with an improved likelihood of hospital (74%) and 1-year (47%) survival. CONCLUSION: Despite better-than-predicted survival outcomes, patient functionality and 1-year survival were poor. Unrealistic family expectations were associated with increased resource utilization without significant survival benefit, whereas absence of physician documentation of likely impending death (which correlated with improved survival) may denote the prognostication skills of experienced clinicians.