Al-Zahrawi (936-1013 AD): On the Surgical Treatment of Neurological Disorders by the Father of Operative Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Medical knowledge during the medieval ages flourished under the influence of great scholars of the Islamic Golden age such as Ibn Sina (Latinized as Avicenna), Abu Bakr al-Razi (Rhazes), and Abu al-Qasim Khalaf ibn al-Abbas al-Zahrawi, known as Albucasis. Much has been written on al-Zahrawi's innovation in various disciplines of medicine and surgery. In this article, we focus for on the contributions of al-Zahrawi toward the treatment of neurological disorders in the surgical chapters of his medical encyclopedia, Kitab al-Tasrif (The Method of Medicine). METHODS: Excerpts from a modern copy of volume 30 of al-Zahrawi's Kitab al-Tasrif were reviewed and translated by the primary author from Arabic to English, to further provide specific details regarding his neurosurgical knowledge. In addition, a literature search was performed using PubMed and Google Scholar to review prior reports on al-Zahrawi's neurosurgical instructions. RESULTS: In addition to what is described in the literature of al-Zahrawi's teachings in cranial and spine surgery, we provide insight into his diagnosis and management of cranial and spinal trauma, the devices he used, and prognostication of various traumatic injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Al-Zahrawi was a renowned physician during the Islamic Golden age who made significant contributions to the diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions, particularly cranial and spinal cord injuries. He developed innovative surgical techniques for trephination and spinal traction, which are still used in modern neurosurgery. His insights make him worthy of recognition as an important figure in the history of neurological surgery.

Initial experience with transcarotid arterial revascularization with flow reversal in the management of symptomatic carotid stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of transcarotid arterial revascularization (TCAR) as a viable intervention in the treatment of symptomatic carotid artery stenosis. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective review of prospectively collected data of the first 62 consecutive patients treated at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, who underwent a TCAR for symptomatic carotid artery stenosis between November 11, 2020, and March 31, 2022. Relevant demographic, comorbidity, and perioperative data were extracted through retrospective chart review. Patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis were excluded. The authors also evaluated patients using pertinent physiological and anatomical high-risk criteria as described in the ROADSTER trial. Risk factors were aggregated to form a composite risk total for every patient. The primary outcome of this study was the 30-day adverse outcome rate of stroke, myocardial infarction, and/or death. Periprocedural stroke was identified by clinical symptoms and radiographic findings. Secondary endpoints included device and procedural success, 30-day mortality, 30-day stroke rate, and postoperative complications. RESULTS: The authors analyzed the first 62 patients with > 50% symptomatic carotid artery stenosis who underwent TCAR at their institution. The mean age of the cohort was 71.5 years, and the cohort was predominantly male (67.7%). The most common high-risk medical criteria were age older than 75 years (45.3%) and severe coronary artery disease (13.6%). The most common anatomical high-risk criteria were high bifurcation (35.1%) and contralateral stenosis requiring treatment within 30 days (15.8%). Fifty percent of patients had at least 1 medical high-risk criterion, 50% had at least 1 anatomical risk criterion, and 82% of patients had 2 or more high-risk criteria of any kind. Among this group, all patients (100%) underwent successful revascularization, with 1 (1.6%) requiring intraprocedural conversion to carotid endarterectomy. Postprocedurally, there was 1 nondisabling stroke (1.6%) and 3 deaths (4.8%) within 30 days of the procedure, with only 1 death directly attributable to the procedure. One patient (1.6%) experienced a neck hematoma. In total, 4 patients (6.5%) experienced a major complication. The overall complication rate was 8.0%. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' initial experience with TCAR suggests that it might provide an effective alternative to carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery stenting in the management of symptomatic carotid stenosis in patients with high-risk anatomical and medical characteristics.

Preoperative MRI evaluation of pituitary macroadenoma: imaging features predictive of successful transsphenoidal surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the preoperative MRI findings of enhanced diffusivity, macrocyst content, and internal hemorrhage in pituitary macroadenomas are predictive of successful transsphenoidal hypophysectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the preoperative and postoperative sella protocol MR images of 28 patients who underwent transsphenoidal hypophysectomy for chiasm-compressing macroadenoma. Chiasmatic decompression defined surgical success. Two neuroradiologists differentiated nonsolid (macrocystic and macrohemorrhagic) from solid tumors, computed apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and T2-weighted signal intensity normalized to pons in solid tumors, and measured change in tumor height. A neuropathologist graded reticulin content in tumor specimens. Categorical and dichotomous variables were examined with the chi-square or Fisher's exact test; continuous-scale data were analyzed with the Student's t test, analysis of variance, or linear regression. RESULTS: Transsphenoidal hypophysectomy succeeded in the management of 10 of 11 nonsolid tumors and nine of 17 solid tumors (p = 0.049). The ratios of tumor to brainstem ADC in the nine successfully resected solid tumors were higher than in the eight cases of failed treatment (p = 0.008) with no significant difference in ratio of tumor to brainstem T2-weighted signal intensity (p = 0.76). All six solid tumors with enhanced diffusivity (ratio of tumor to brainstem ADC > 1.1) were successfully managed with transsphenoidal hypophysectomy, compared with three of 11 with an ADC ratio less than 1.1 (p = 0.009). There was a significant main effect of ADC ratio groupings on change in tumor height (p = 0.02), and a linear relation was found between ADC ratio and change in tumor height (p = 0.04). Taken together, tumors with nonsolid features or an ADC ratio greater than 1.1 were highly resectable (p < 0.001; sensitivity, 0.84; specificity, 0.89). ADC ratios in reticulin-poor solid tumors were higher than those in reticulin-rich tumors (p = 0.024). CONCLUSION: Macrocystic and macrohemorrhagic adenomas and solid tumors with enhanced diffusivity are more likely to be successfully managed with transsphenoidal hypophysectomy. Transsphenoidal hypophysectomy of solid, enhancing tumors with restricted diffusion is more likely to fail, possibly because of the greater reticulin content of the tumor; initial transcranial surgery may be appropriate in these cases.