Ethical triage during the COVID-19 pandemic: a toolkit for neurosurgical resource allocation.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic confronts healthcare workers, including neurosurgeons, with difficult choices regarding which patients to treat. METHODS: In order to assist ethical triage, this article gives an overview of the main considerations and ethical principles relevant when allocating resources in times of scarcity. RESULTS: We discuss a framework employing four principles: prioritizing the worst off, maximizing benefits, treating patients equally, and promoting instrumental value. We furthermore discuss the role of age and comorbidity in triage and highlight some principles that may seem intuitive but should not form a basis for triage. CONCLUSIONS: This overview is presented on behalf of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies and can be used as a toolkit for neurosurgeons faced with ethical dilemmas when triaging patients in times of scarcity.

Pooling and patient satisfaction in non-instrumented lumbar decompressive surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of pooling of patients for elective non-instrumented lumbar decompression on patient satisfaction and waiting times. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of Spine Tango and Theatre Databases of our Neurosurgical unit for patients who underwent elective primary non-instrumented lumbar decompression between January 2012 and 2016. Patient satisfaction scores at 3 and 12 months post-surgery were collected from the Spine Tango Registry, and patients categorised as pooled/non-pooled by searching theatre databases to determine their named listing and operating consultants. Results were analysed numerically and by performing chi-squared testing to determine if pooling affected patient satisfaction. Theatre records were analysed between January 2004-2006, January 2009-2011 and 2014-2016 to determine what effect implementation of the 18-week wait target system (2009) and of our pooled system (2012) had on waiting times to operation for patients undergoing elective primary non-instrumented lumbar decompression. RESULTS: There is no significant difference in patient satisfaction levels between pooled and non-pooled patients at 3 (p = .052) and 12 months (p = .5) post primary elective lumbar decompression (significance p < .05). There was no difference in average waiting time between the pooled and non-pooled groups. Both setting of 18-week targets and pooling improved waiting times. Setting of 18-week targets affected average waiting times markedly while pooling most notably reduced the variability in waiting times between patients for the same procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Pooling of patients for elective non-instrumented lumbar decompression in our unit has improved waiting times, particularly the variability in them, with no detriment to patient satisfaction. We would recommend other units to consider developing a system of pooling such as ours, to help maximise use of their current resources and avoid highly variable waiting times for patients for the same procedure within the same department.

The history of head transplantation: a review.

BACKGROUND: Since the turn of the last century, the prospect of head transplantation has captured the imagination of scientists and the general public. Recently, head transplant has regained attention in popular media, as neurosurgeons have proposed performing this procedure in 2017. Given the potential impact of such a procedure, we were interested in learning the history of the technical hurdles that need to be overcome, and determine if it is even technically possible to perform such a procedure on humans today. METHOD: We conducted a historical review of available literature on the technical challenges and developments of head transplantation. The many social, psychological, ethical, religious, cultural, and legal questions of head transplantation were beyond the scope of this review. RESULTS: Our historical review identified the following important technical considerations related to performing a head transplant: maintenance of blood flow to an isolated brain via vessel anastomosis; availability of immunosuppressive agents; spinal anastomosis and fusion following cord transfection; pain control in the recipient. Several animal studies have demonstrated success in maintaining recipient cerebral perfusion and achieving immunosuppression. However, there is currently sparse evidence in favor of successful spinal anastomosis and fusion after transection. While recent publications by an Italian group offer novel approaches to this challenge, research on this topic has been sparse and hinges on procedures performed in animal models in the 1970s. How transferrable these older methods are to the human nervous system is unclear and warrants further exploration. CONCLUSIONS: Our review identified several important considerations related to performing a viable head transplantation. Besides the technical challenges that remain, there are important ethical issues to consider, such as exploitation of vulnerable patients and informed consent. Thus, besides the remaining technical challenges, these ethical issues will also need to be addressed before moving these studies to the clinic.

Feasibility of comparing medical management and surgery (with neurosurgery or stereotactic radiosurgery) with medical management alone in people with symptomatic brain cavernoma - protocol for the Cavernomas: A Randomised Effectiveness (CARE) pilot trial.

INTRODUCTION: The top research priority for cavernoma, identified by a James Lind Alliance Priority setting partnership was 'Does treatment (with neurosurgery or stereotactic radiosurgery) or no treatment improve outcome for people diagnosed with a cavernoma?' This pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to determine the feasibility of answering this question in a main phase RCT. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will perform a pilot phase, parallel group, pragmatic RCT involving approximately 60 children or adults with mental capacity, resident in the UK or Ireland, with an unresected symptomatic brain cavernoma. Participants will be randomised by web-based randomisation 1:1 to treatment with medical management and with surgery (neurosurgery or stereotactic radiosurgery) versus medical management alone, stratified by prerandomisation preference for type of surgery. In addition to 13 feasibility outcomes, the primary clinical outcome is symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage or new persistent/progressive focal neurological deficit measured at 6 monthly intervals. An integrated QuinteT Recruitment Intervention (QRI) evaluates screening logs, audio recordings of recruitment discussions, and interviews with recruiters and patients/parents/carers to identify and address barriers to participation. A Patient Advisory Group has codesigned the study and will oversee its progress. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study was approved by the Yorkshire and The Humber-Leeds East Research Ethics Committee (21/YH/0046). We will submit manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals, describing the findings of the QRI and the Cavernomas: A Randomised Evaluation (CARE) pilot trial. We will present at national specialty meetings. We will disseminate a plain English summary of the findings of the CARE pilot trial to participants and public audiences with input from, and acknowledgement of, the Patient Advisory Group. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN41647111.

Visual field deficit due to downward displacement of optic chiasm.

Visual disturbance in hydrocephalus is typically due to raised intracranial pressure. We describe a patient who presented with marked loss of peripheral visual fields, but without features suggestive of raised intracranial pressure. MR scan showed an enlarged third ventricle and a downward displacement of the optic chiasm, Chiari II malformation. These radiological changes and the visual field deficits reversed after endoscopic third ventriculostomy and foramen magnum decompression. These observations support the view that the treatment of the hydrocephalus in such patients can help to reverse the change in the position of the optic chiasm and the visual field deficits.