Staged Resection of Difficult-to-Treat Intracranial Meningiomas: A Systematic Review of the Indications, Surgical Approaches, and Postoperative Outcomes.

Introduction Meningiomas-the most common extra-axial tumors-are benign, slow-growing dural-based lesions that can involve multiple cranial fossae and can progress insidiously for years until coming to clinical attention secondary to compression of adjacent neurovascular structures. For complex, multicompartmental lesions, multistaged surgeries have been increasingly shown to enhance maximal safe resection while minimizing adverse sequela. Here, we systematically review the extant literature to highlight the merits of staged resection. Methods PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were queried to identify articles reporting resections of intracranial meningiomas using a multistaged approach, and articles were screened for possible inclusion in a systematic process performed by two authors. Results Of 118 identified studies, 36 describing 169 patients (mean age 42.6 ± 21.3 years) met inclusion/exclusion criteria. Petroclival lesions comprised 57% of cases, with the most common indications for a multistaged approach being large size, close approximation of critical neurovascular structures, minimization of brain retraction, identification and ligation of deep vessels feeding the tumor, and resection of residual tumor found on postoperative imaging. Most second-stage surgeries occurred within 3 months of the index surgery. Few complications were reported and multistaged resections appeared to be well tolerated overall. Conclusions Current literature suggests multistaged approaches for meningioma resection are well-tolerated. However, there is insufficient comparative evidence to draw definitive conclusions about its advantages over an unstaged approach. There are similarly insufficient data to generate an evidence-based decision-making framework for when a staged approach should be employed. This highlights the need for collaborative efforts among skull base surgeons to establish an evidentiary to support the use of staged approaches and to outline those indications that merit such an approach.

Postoperative Outcomes for Spinal Fusion Procedures in Pediatric Patients with Anemia: A Retrospective and Multivariate Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative anemia is known to be associated with perioperative complications in many surgical interventions. Here, we examine the effects of preoperative anemia on peri-operative complications and postoperative outcomes in pediatric patients undergoing spinal fusion. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was conducted using the American College of Surgeons Pediatric National Surgery Quality Improvement Program Database between 2012-2020. Current Procedural Terminology codes 22800, 22,802, 22,804, 22,840, 22,842, 22,843, and 22,844 were included to represent all primary spinal fusion procedures performed. Patients without preoperative hematocrit (HCT) levels were excluded. Classification of anemia was determined via age- and sex-adjusted HCT levels. Patient demographics, preoperative comorbidities and risk factors, and 30-day postoperative outcomes were compared between the 2 cohorts using univariate analysis. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed to determine if anemia severity was independently associated with worse postoperative outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 30,243 pediatric patients were included in this study, with 26,621 not having preoperative anemia and 3622 having preoperative anemia. Pediatric patients with anemia have increased length of stay (LOS) (6.7 ± 9.6 vs. 5 ± 6, P < 0.001), 30-day unplanned reoperation rate (4% vs. 2.8%, P < 0.001), and total blood transfused (489.9 ± 497.8 vs. 423.4 ± 452.6, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis supported anemia and degree of its severity as an independent predictor of increased length of stay (LOS), reoperation rate, and postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative anemia leads to worse outcomes in pediatric spinal fusion procedures. Utilizing HCT recordings could be factored into the equation for optimal patient selection and prevention of post-operative complications.

Resident Training in Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review of Simulation-Based Educational Models.

OBJECTIVE: With the increasing prevalence of spine surgery, ensuring effective resident training is becoming of increasing importance. Training safe, competent surgeons relies heavily on effective teaching of surgical indications and adequate practice to achieve a minimum level of technical proficiency before independent practice. American Council of Graduate Medical Education work-hour restrictions have complicated the latter, forcing programs to identify novel methods of surgical resident training. Simulation-based training is one such method that can be used to complement traditional training. The present review aims to evaluate the educational success of simulation-based models in the spine surgical training of residents. METHODS: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, the PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were systematically screened for English full-text studies examining simulation-based spine training curricula. Studies were categorized based on simulation model class, including animal-cadaveric, human-cadaveric, physical/3-dimensional, and computer-based/virtual reality. Outcomes studied included participant feedback regarding the simulator and competency metrics used to evaluate participant performance. RESULTS: Seventy-two studies were identified. Simulators displayed high face validity and were useful for spine surgery training. Objective measures used to evaluate procedural performance included implant placement evaluation, procedural time, and technical skill assessment, with numerous simulators demonstrating a learning effect. CONCLUSIONS: While simulation-based educational models are one potential means of training residents to perform spine surgery, traditional in-person operating room training remains pivotal. To establish the efficacy of simulators, future research should focus on improving study quality by leveraging longitudinal study designs and correlating simulation-based training with clinical outcome measures.

Effectiveness of Deep Brain Stimulation in Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa and Obesity: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: Anorexia nervosa and obesity are common appetite disorders, which may be life threatening if not treated and often coincide with psychiatric disorders. We sought to investigate whether deep brain stimulation (DBS) of specific regions within the brain could aid in the treatment of these disorders. This review aims to organize the literature regarding the feasibility of DBS via clinical outcomes and synthesize the data on patient demographics and electrode parameters for future optimization. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were all queried on 7 June 2022 to identify studies reporting the effect of DBS in treatment of either anorexia nervosa or obesity. We included studies involving 1) DBS, 2) treatment of anorexia nervosa or obesity, and 3) body mass index (BMI) as the primary outcome variable. Case reports, retrospective cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials were all eligible for inclusion. Exclusion of articles was based on the following criteria: 1) meta-analyses or systematic reviews or 2) describes diseases other than only anorexia or obesity. Screening of the 999 articles returned by an initial search yielded 23 studies for inclusion and further data extraction. Qualitative assessment of included studies was subsequently conducted in accordance with Newcastle-Ottawa Scale criteria. RESULTS: We included 23 articles (17 anorexia, 5 obesity) that met our inclusion and exclusion criteria, which included 8 case reports, 13 case series, and 1 case-control study. Our primary variables of interest were location of DBS, change in BMI after intervention, electrode parameters, and psychiatric comorbidities. A total of 131 patients were included and analyzed, 118 of those belonging in the anorexia cohort. For patients with anorexia, we found that the most common place for DBS was the subcallosal cingulate followed by the nucleus accumbens, resulting in an overall increase in BMI by 24.82% over the span of a mean 17.1 months. Psychiatric comorbidities (major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety) were common in the anorexia cohort. For patients with obesity, DBS was most common in the lateral hypothalamus followed by the nucleus accumbens, resulting in a small decrease in BMI by 3.97% over a mean 17.2 months. Data were insufficient for this cohort to report on additional psychiatric comorbidities or calculate the duration from diagnosis to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: DBS seems to be a promising solution in addressing treatment-refractory anorexia, but additional prospective studies are still needed to confirm this same usefulness for the treatment of obesity. Primary limitations included the apparent lack of data on DBS for obesity as well as the dearth of cohort studies assessing efficacy of DBS compared with control treatments. Although these limitations could not be addressed in the current review, this study may incentivize future trials to assess DBS in patients with appetite disorders in a more controlled fashion.