Promoting diversity in neurosurgery through a virtual symposium.

OBJECTIVE: The rates of women and underrepresented racial and ethnic minority (UREM) students successfully matching into neurosurgical residency are extremely low and do not reflect the makeup of the general population. As of 2019, only 17.5% of neurosurgical residents in the United States were women, 4.95% were Black or African American, and 7.2% were Hispanic or Latinx. Earlier recruitment of UREM students will help to diversify the neurosurgical workforce. Therefore, the authors developed a virtual educational event for undergraduate students entitled "Future Leaders in Neurosurgery Symposium for Underrepresented Students'' (FLNSUS). The primary objectives of the FLNSUS were to expose attendees to 1) neurosurgeons from diverse gender, racial, and ethnic backgrounds; 2) neurosurgical research; 3) opportunities for neurosurgical mentorship; and 4) information about life as a neurosurgeon. The authors hypothesized that the FLNSUS would increase student self-confidence, provide exposure to the specialty, and reduce perceived barriers to a neurosurgical career. METHODS: To measure the change in participant perceptions of neurosurgery, pre- and postsymposium surveys were administered to attendees. Of the 269 participants who completed the presymposium survey, 250 participated in the virtual event and 124 completed the postsymposium survey. Paired pre- and postsurvey responses were used for analysis, yielding a response rate of 46%. To assess the impact of participant perceptions of neurosurgery as a field, pre- and postsurvey responses to questions were compared. The change in response was analyzed, and a nonparametric sign test was performed to check for significant differences. RESULTS: According to the sign test, applicants showed increased familiarity with the field (p < 0.001), increased confidence in their abilities to become neurosurgeons (p = 0.014), and increased exposure to neurosurgeons from diverse gender, racial, and ethnic backgrounds (p < 0.001 for all categories). CONCLUSIONS: These results reflect a significant improvement in student perceptions of neurosurgery and suggest that symposiums like the FLNSUS may promote further diversification of the field. The authors anticipate that events promoting diversity in neurosurgery will lead to a more equitable workforce that will ultimately translate to enhanced research productivity, cultural humility, and patient-centered care in neurosurgery.

The unmet global burden of cranial epidural hematomas: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Approximately 69 million people suffer from traumatic brain injury (TBI) annually. Patients with isolated epidural hematomas (EDH) with access to timely surgical intervention often sustain favorable outcomes. Efforts to ensure safe, timely, and affordable access to EDH treatment may offer tremendous benefits. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted. A random-effects model was used to pool the outcomes. Studies were further categorized into groups by World Bank Income classification: high-income countries (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). RESULTS: Forty-nine studies were included, including 36 from HICs, 12 from LMICs, and 1 from HIC / LMIC. Incidence of EDH amongst TBI patients 8.2 % (95 % CI: 5.9,11.2), including 9.2 % (95 %CI 6.4,13.2) in HICs and 5.8 % (95 % CI: 3.1,10.7) in LMICs (p = 0.20). The overall percent male was 73.7 % and 47.4 % were caused by road traffic accidents. Operative rate was 76.0 % (95 %CI: 67.9,82.6), with a numerically lower rate of 74.2 % (95 %CI: 64.0,81.8) in HICs than in LMICs 82.9 % (95 %CI: 65.4,92.5) (p = 0.33). This decreased to 55.5 % after adjustment for small study effect. The non-operative mortality (5.3 %, 95 %CI: 2.2,12.3) was lower than the operative mortality (8.3 %, 95 %CI: 4.6,14.6), with slightly higher rates in HICs than LMICs. This relationship remained after adjustment for small study effect, with 9.3 % operative mortality compared to 6.9 % non-operative mortality. CONCLUSION: With an overall EDH incidence of 8.2 % and an operative rate of 55.5 %, 3.1 million people worldwide require surgery for traumatic EDH every year, most of whom are in prime working age. Given the favorable prognosis with treatment, traumatic EDH is a strong investment for neurosurgical capacity building.

Perioperative Pain Management for Elective Spine Surgery: Opioid Use and Multimodal Strategies.

In recent years, physicians and institutions have come to recognize the increasing opioid epidemic in the United States, thus prompting a dramatic shift in opioid prescribing patterns. The lack of well-studied alternative treatment regimens has led to a substantial burden of opioid addiction in the United States. These forces have led to a huge economic burden on the country. The spine surgery population is particularly high risk for uncontrolled perioperative pain, because most patients experience chronic pain preoperatively and many patients continue to experience pain postoperatively. Overall, there is a large incentive to better understand comprehensive multimodal pain management regimens, particularly in the spine surgery patient population. The goal of this review is to explore trends in pain symptoms in spine surgery patients, overview the best practices in pain medications and management, and provide a concise multimodal and behavioral treatment algorithm for pain management, which has since been adopted by a high-volume tertiary academic medical center.

Neurotrauma Surveillance in National Registries of Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review and Comparative Analysis of Data Dictionaries.

BACKGROUND: Injury is a major global health problem, causing >5 800 000 deaths annually and widespread disability largely attributable to neurotrauma. 89% of trauma deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), however data on neurotrauma epidemiology in LMICs is lacking. In order to support neurotrauma surveillance efforts, we present a review and analysis of data dictionaries from national registries in LMICs. METHODS: We performed a scoping review to identify existing national trauma registries for all LMICs. Inclusion/ exclusion criteria included articles published since 1991 describing national registry neurotrauma data capture methods in LMICs. Data sources included PubMed and Google Scholar using the terms "trauma/neurotrauma registry" and country name. Resulting registries were analyzed for neurotrauma-specific data dictionaries. These findings were augmented by data from direct contact of neurotrauma organizations, health ministries, and key informants from a convenience sample. These data were then compared to the World Health Organization (WHO) minimum dataset for injury (MDI) from the international registry for trauma and emergency care (IRTEC). RESULTS: We identified 15 LMICs with 16 total national trauma registries tracking neurotrauma-specific data elements. Among these, Cameroon had the highest concordance with the MDI, followed by Colombia, Iran, Myanmar and Thailand. The MDI elements least often found in the data dictionaries included helmet use, and alcohol level. Data dictionaries differed significantly among LMICs. Common elements included Glasgow Coma Score, mechanism of injury, anatomical site of injury and injury severity scores. Limitations included low response rate in direct contact methods. CONCLUSION: Significant heterogeneity was observed between the neurotrauma data dictionaries, as well as a spectrum of concordance or discordance with the MDI. Findings offer a contextually relevant menu of possible neurotrauma data elements that LMICs can consider tracking nationally to enhance neurotrauma surveillance and care systems. Standardization of nationwide neurotrauma data collection can facilitate international comparisons and bidirectional learning among healthcare governments.

Barriers to neurotrauma care in low- to middle-income countries: an international survey of neurotrauma providers.

OBJECTIVE: Delays along the neurosurgical care continuum are associated with poor outcomes and are significantly greater in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs), with timely access to neurotrauma care remaining one of the most significant unmet neurosurgical needs worldwide. Using Lancet Global Surgery metrics and the Three Delays framework, the authors of this study aimed to identify and characterize the most significant barriers to the delivery of neurotrauma care in LMICs from the perspective of local neurotrauma providers. METHODS: The authors conducted a cross-sectional study through the dissemination of a web-based survey to neurotrauma providers across all World Health Organization geographic regions. Responses were analyzed with descriptive statistics and Kruskal-Wallis testing, using World Bank data to provide estimates of populations at risk. RESULTS: Eighty-two (36.9%) of 222 neurosurgeons representing 47 countries participated in the survey. It was estimated that 3.9 billion people lack access to neurotrauma care within 2 hours. Nearly 3.4 billion were estimated to be at risk for impoverishing expenditure and 2.9 billion were at risk of catastrophic expenditure as a result of paying for care for neurotrauma injuries. Delays in seeking care were rated as slightly common (p < 0.001), those in reaching care were very common (p < 0.001), and those in receiving care were slightly common (p < 0.05). The most significant causes for delays were associated with reaching care, including geographic distance from a facility, lack of ambulance service, and lack of finances for travel. All three delays were correlated to income classification and geographic region. CONCLUSIONS: While expanding the global neurosurgical workforce is of the utmost importance, the study data suggested that it may not be entirely sufficient in gaining access to care for the emergent neurosurgical patient. Significant income and region-specific variability exists with regard to barriers to accessing neurotrauma care. Highlighting these barriers and quantifying worldwide access to neurotrauma care using metrics from the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery provides essential insight for future initiatives aiming to strengthen global neurotrauma systems.

Differences in outcomes of mandatory motorcycle helmet legislation by country income level: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The recent Lancet Commission on Legal Determinants of Global Health argues that governance can provide the framework for achieving sustainable development goals. Even though over 90% of fatal road traffic injuries occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) primarily affecting motorcyclists, the utility of helmet laws outside of high-income settings has not been well characterized. We sought to evaluate the differences in outcomes of mandatory motorcycle helmet legislation and determine whether these varied across country income levels. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A systematic review and meta-analysis were completed using the PRISMA checklist. A search for relevant articles was conducted using the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases from January 1, 1990 to August 8, 2021. Studies were included if they evaluated helmet usage, mortality from motorcycle crash, or traumatic brain injury (TBI) incidence, with and without enactment of a mandatory helmet law as the intervention. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to rate study quality and funnel plots, and Begg's and Egger's tests were used to assess for small study bias. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were stratified by high-income countries (HICs) versus LMICs using the random-effects model. Twenty-five articles were included in the final analysis encompassing a total study population of 31,949,418 people. There were 17 retrospective cohort studies, 2 prospective cohort studies, 1 case-control study, and 5 pre-post design studies. There were 16 studies from HICs and 9 from LMICs. The median NOS score was 6 with a range of 4 to 9. All studies demonstrated higher odds of helmet usage after implementation of helmet law; however, the results were statistically significantly greater in HICs (OR: 53.5; 95% CI: 28.4; 100.7) than in LMICs (OR: 4.82; 95% CI: 3.58; 6.49), p-value comparing both strata < 0.0001. There were significantly lower odds of motorcycle fatalities after enactment of helmet legislation (OR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.61; 0.83) with no significant difference by income classification, p-value: 0.27. Odds of TBI were statistically significantly lower in HICs (OR: 0.61, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.69) than in LMICs (0.79, 95% CI 0.72 to 0.86) after enactment of law (p-value: 0.0001). Limitations of this study include variability in the methodologies and data sources in the studies included in the meta-analysis as well as the lack of available literature from the lowest income countries or from the African WHO region, in which helmet laws are least commonly present. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we observed that mandatory helmet laws had substantial public health benefits in all income contexts, but some outcomes were diminished in LMIC settings where additional measures such as public education and law enforcement might play critical roles.

An Assessment of Global Neurotrauma Prevention and Care Delivery: The Provider Perspective.

BACKGROUND: Neurotrauma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. Assessment of injury prevention and prehospital care for neurotrauma patients is necessary to improve care systems. METHODS: A 29-question electronic survey was developed based on the Enhancing the Quality and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR) checklist to assess neurotrauma policies and laws related to safety precautions. The survey was distributed to members of World Health Organization regions that were considered to be experienced medical authorities in neurosurgery and traumatic brain injury. RESULTS: There were 82 (39%) responses representing 46 countries. Almost all respondents (95.2%) were within the neurosurgical field. Of respondents, 40.2% were from high-income countries (HICs), and 59.8% were from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Motor vehicle accidents were reported as the leading cause of neurotrauma, followed by workplace injury and assault. Of respondents, 84.1% reported having a helmet law in their country. HICs (4.38 ± 0.78) were ranked more likely than LMICs (2.88 ± 1.34; P = 0.0001) to enforce helmet laws on a scale of 1-10. Effectiveness of helmet laws was rated as 3.94 ± 0.95 out of 10. Measures regarding prehospital care varied between HICs and LMICs. Patients in HICs were more likely to use public emergency ambulance transportation (81.8% vs. 42.9%; P = 0.0004). All prehospital personnel having emergency training was also reported to be more likely in HICs than LMICs (60.6% vs. 8.7%; P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: When injuries occur, timely access to neurosurgical care is critical. A focus on prehospital components of the trauma system is paramount, and policymakers can use the information presented here to implement and refine health care systems to ensure safe, timely, affordable, and equitable access to neurotrauma care.

Gender-Based Microaggressions in Surgery: A Scoping Review of the Global Literature.

BACKGROUND: In addition to systemic gender disparities, women in surgery encounter interpersonal microaggressions. The objective of this study is to describe the most common forms of microaggressions reported by women in surgery. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review using PubMed/MEDLINE, Ovid, and Web of Science to describe the international, indexed English-language literature on gender-based microaggressions experienced by female surgeons, surgical trainees, and medical students in surgery. After screening by title, abstract, and full-text, 37 articles were retained for data extraction and analysis. Microaggressions were analyzed using the Sexist Microaggression Experience and Stress Scale (MESS) framework and stratified by country of origin. RESULTS: Gender-based microaggression publications most commonly originated from the United States (n = 27 articles), Canada (n = 3), and India (n = 2). Gender-based microaggressions were classified into environmental invalidations (n = 20), being treated like a second-class citizen (n = 18), assumptions of traditional gender roles (n = 12), sexual objectification (n = 11), assumptions of inferiority (n = 10), being forced to leave gender at the door (n = 8), and experiencing sexist language (n = 6). Additionally, attendings were more frequently reported to experience microaggressions than surgical trainees and medical students, but more articles reported data on attendings (n = 16) than surgical trainees (n = 10) or students (n = 4). CONCLUSION: While recent advancements have opened the field of surgery to women, there is still a lack of female representation, and persistent microaggressions may perpetuate this gender disparity. Addressing microaggressions against female surgeons is essential to achieving gender equity in surgical practice.

Emerging Trends in the Neurosurgical Workforce of Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Every year, there are an estimated 22.6 million new neurosurgical consultative cases worldwide, of which 13.8 million require surgery. In 2016, the global neurosurgical workforce was estimated and mapped as open-access information to guide neurosurgeons, affiliates, and policy makers. We present a subsequent investigation for mapping the global neurosurgical workforce for 2018 to show the replicability of previous data collection methods as well as to show any changes in workforce density. METHODS: We extracted data on the absolute number of neurosurgeons per low and middle-income countries (LMICs) in 2016 from the database of the global neurosurgical workforce mapping project. The estimated number of neurosurgeons in each LMIC during 2018 was obtained from collaborators. The median workforce densities were calculated for 2016 and 2018. Neurosurgical workforce density heat maps were generated. RESULTS: We received data from 119 countries (response rate 86.2%) and imputed data for 19 countries (13.8%). Seventy-eight (56.5%, N = 138) countries had an increase in their number of neurosurgeons, 9 (6.5%) showed a decrease, whereas 51 (37.0%) had the same number of neurosurgeons in both years. The pooled median increased from 0.17 (interquartile range, 0.54) in 2016 to 0.18 (interquartile range, 0.59) in 2018. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the density of the neurosurgical workforce has increased from 2016 to 2018. However, at the current rate, 80 LMICs (58.0%) will not meet the neurosurgical workforce density target by 2030.

Training Neurosurgeons in Myanmar and Surrounding Countries: The Resident Perspective.

INTRODUCTION: In recent decades there has been a significant expansion of neurosurgical capabilities in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. Despite these developments, little is known about the structure and quality of local neurosurgical training paradigms. METHODS: A 36-question survey was administered to neurosurgical trainees in person at the Southeast Asian Neurosurgical Bootcamp to assess demographics, structure, and exposure of neurosurgical training in Southeast Asia. RESULTS: A total of 45 out of 47 possible respondents participated in the survey; 78% were men, with an age range of 26-40 years. Neurosurgical training most commonly consisted of 3 (n = 22, 49%) or 6 years (n = 14, 31%). The majority of respondents (70.5%) were from Myanmar, with the remainder coming from Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Nepal. Most residents (n = 38, 84%) used textbooks as their primary study resource. Only 24 (53%) residents indicated that they had free access to online neurosurgical journals via their training institution. The majority (n = 27, 60%) reported that fewer than 750 cases were performed at their institution per year; with a median of 70% (interquartile range: 50%-80%) being emergent. The most commonly reported procedures were trauma craniotomies and ventriculoperitoneal shunting. The least commonly reported procedures were endovascular techniques and spinal instrumentation. CONCLUSIONS: Although the unmet burden of neurosurgical disease remains high, local training programs are devoting significant efforts to provide a sustainable solution to the problem of neurosurgical workforce. High-income country institutions should partner with global colleagues to ensure high-quality neurosurgical care for all people regardless of location and income.

One hundred years of neurosurgery: contributions of American women.

The end of the first 100 years of any endeavor is an appropriate time to look back and peer forward. As neurosurgery celebrates its 1st century as a specialty, the increasing role of women neurosurgeons is a major theme. This article documents the early women pioneers in neurosurgery. The contributions of these trailblazers to the origins, academics, and professional organizations of neurosurgery are highlighted. The formation of Women in Neurosurgery in 1989 is described, as is the important role this organization has played in introducing and promoting talented women in the profession. Contributions of women neurosurgeons to academic medicine and society as a whole are briefly highlighted. Contemporary efforts and initiatives indicate future directions in which women may lead neurosurgery in its 2nd century.