Joint International SILACO, SICCMII, ISASS Symposium as a Model for a Collaborative Framework to Create Literature on Advances in Spine Surgery, Patient Care, and Policy.

International collaborations can be the key to overcoming innovation implementation hurdles. The authors report on a joint symposium between the International Society For The Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) and La Sociedad Iberolatinoamerica de Columna (SILACO), and La Sociedad Interamericana de Cirurgia de columna de Minima invasión (SICCMII) aimed at improving joint surgeon education programs. The symposium highlighted that patient-related spine care issues are similar across geographical, cultural, and language barriers. The sustainability of such programs depends on funding and mutually respectful relationships orchestrated by multi-lingual leaders who will bridge gaps created by geographical, cultural, and language barriers to effectively develop clinical research content focused on advancing surgeon education and improving patient outcomes across the Americas.

Transforaminal Endoscopic Discectomy Combined With an Interspinous Process Distraction System for Spinal Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: The combination of the percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic decompression (PTED) with an interspinous process distraction system (IPS) may offer additional benefit in the treatment of spinal stenosis in patients who have failed nonsurgical treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 33 patients diagnosed with lumbar stenosis and radiculopathy and treated them with transforaminal endoscopic lumbar decompression between 2013 and 2017. Primary outcome measures were modified Macnab as well as preoperative and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) criteria and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Only patients with a minimum follow-up of 2 years were included. RESULTS: A total of 28 patients were treated with a combination of PTED and percutaneous IPS (group A), and 5 patients were treated with PTED and mini-open IPS (group B). In group A patients, there was a 4.48 reduction in the VAS score. The ODI changed from 50.25 preoperatively to 18.2 postoperatively, and excellent and good Macnab outcomes were obtained in 78% of patients. In group B patients, the mean VAS reduction was 5.2 points. The ODI changed from 44.34 preoperatively to 14.62 postoperatively, and 80% of group B patients achieved excellent and good Macnab outcomes. No complications related to PTED or IPS were observed throughout the 2-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of IPS to the PTED procedure in select patients may offer additional benefits to patients being treated for lumbar lateral stenosis and foraminal stenosis with low-grade spondylolisthesis. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Feasibility study.

Surgical treatment of cervical radiculopathy using an anterior cervical endoscopic decompression.

BACKGROUND: Anterior endoscopic cervical decompression with discectomy and foraminotomy is an alternative to open surgical treatment of unrelenting cervical radiculopathy (CR) in patients who have failed non-operative treatment. The purpose of the study is to present the clinical outcomes of patient with CR treated with an anterior endoscopic approach. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 293 patients diagnosed with CR and treated with an anterior endoscopic cervical decompression between 1997 and 2018. Primary outcome measures were modified Macnab as well as pre- and postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) criteria. RESULTS: The average surgical time was 65 minutes. At 12 months follow-up, Excellent and Good Macnab outcomes were achieved in 90.1% of patients. The average VAS score reduction was 5.6. Complications occurred in 8 patients and were treated with a second procedure in 10 patients. CONCLUSIONS: The anterior endoscopic cervical decompression is an attractive alternative to open anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with a low complication and reoperations rate.

Surgeon training and clinical implementation of spinal endoscopy in routine practice: results of a global survey.

BACKGROUND: Training of spine surgeons may impact the availability of contemporary minimally invasive spinal surgery (MIS) to patients and drive spine surgeons' clinical decision-making when applying minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques (MISST) to the treatment of common degenerative conditions of the lumbar spine. Training requirements and implementation of privileges vary in different parts of the world. The purpose of this study was to analyze the training in relation to practice patterns of surgeons who perform lumbar endoscopic spinal surgery the world over. METHODS: The authors solicited responses to an online survey sent to spine surgeons by email, and chat groups in social media networks including Facebook, WeChat, WhatsApp, and Linkedin. Surgeons were asked the following questions: (I) please indicate your training? (II) What type of MISST spinal surgery do you perform? (III) How would you rate your experience in MIS lumbar spinal surgery and what percentage of your practice is MISST? And (IV) which avenue did you use to train for the MISST you currently employ in your clinical practice today? Descriptive statistics were applied to count responses and cross-tabulated them to the surgeon's training. Pearson Chi-square measures, kappa statistics, and linear regression analysis of agreement or disagreement were performed by analyzing the distribution of variances using statistical package SPSS version 25.0. RESULTS: A total of 430 surgeons accessed the survey. The completion rate was 67.4%. Analyzing the responses of 292 surveys submitted by 97 neurosurgeons (33.2%), 161 orthopaedic surgeons (55.1%), and 34 surgeons of other postgraduate training (11.6%) showed that only 14% (41/292) of surgeons had completed a fellowship. Surgeons rated their skill level 33.5% of the time as master and experienced surgeon, and 35.6% of the time as novice or surgeon with some experience. There were more master (64.6% versus 29.2%) and experienced (52% versus 40%) surgeons amongst orthopaedic surgeons than amongst neurosurgeons at a statistically significant level (P=0.11). There were near twice as many orthopaedic surgeons (54.3%) using endoscopic procedures in the lumbar spine as their favorite MISST than neurosurgeons (35.4%; P=0.096). Endoscopic spine surgeons' main sources of knowledge acquisition were (I) learning in small meetings (57.3%), (II) attending workshops (63.1%), and (III) national and international conferences (59.8%). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of spine surgeons reported more than half of their cases employing MISST at a high skill level. Very few MISST surgeons are fellowship trained but attend workshops and various meetings suggesting that many of them are self-thought. Orthopaedic surgeons were more likely to implement endoscopic spinal surgery into the routine clinical practice. As endoscopic spine surgery gains more traction and patient demand, minimal adequate training will be part of the ongoing debate.

Surgeon motivation, and obstacles to the implementation of minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze the motivators and obstacles to the implementation of minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques (MISST) by spinal surgeons. Motivators and detractors may impact the availability of MISST to patients and drive spine surgeons' clinical decision-making in the treatment of common degenerative conditions of the lumbar spine. METHODS: The authors solicited responses to an online survey sent to spine surgeons by email, and chat groups in social media networks including Facebook, WeChat, WhatsApp, and Linkedin. Descriptive statistics were employed to count the responses and compared to the surgeon's training. Kappa statistics and linear regression analysis of agreement were performed. RESULTS: A total of 430 surgeons accessed the survey. The completion rate was 67.4%. A total of 292 surveys were submitted by 99 neurosurgeons (33.9%), 170 orthopaedic surgeons (58.2%), and 23 surgeons of other postgraduate training (7.9%). Personal interest (82.5%) and patient demand (48.6%) were the primary motivators for MISST implementation. High equipment (48.3%) and disposables (29.1%) cost were relevant obstacles to MISST implementation. Local workshops (47.6%) and meetings in small groups (31.8%) were listed as the primary knowledge sources. Only 12% of surgeons were fellowship trained, but 46.3% of surgeons employed MISST in over 25% of their cases. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of implementation of MISST reported by spine surgeons was found to be high but impeded by the high cost of equipment and disposables. The primary motivators for spine surgeons' desire to implement were personal interest and patient demand.

Regional variations in acceptance, and utilization of minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques among spine surgeons: results of a global survey.

BACKGROUND: Regional differences in acceptance and utilization of MISST by spine surgeons may have an impact on clinical decision-making and the surgical treatment of common degenerative conditions of the lumbar spine. The purpose of this study was to analyze the acceptance and utilization of various minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques (MISST) by spinal surgeons the world over. METHODS: The authors solicited responses to an online survey sent to spine surgeons by email, and chat groups in social media networks including Facebook, WeChat, WhatsApp, and Linkedin. Surgeons were asked the following questions: (I) Do you think minimally invasive spinal surgery is considered mainstream in your area and practice setting? (II) Do you perform minimally invasive spinal surgery? (III) What type of MIS spinal surgery do you perform? (IV) If you are performing endoscopic spinal decompression surgeries, which approach do you prefer? The responses were cross-tabulated by surgeons' demographic data, and their practice area using the following five global regions: Africa & Middle East, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Pearson Chi-Square measures, Kappa statistics, and linear regression analysis of agreement or disagreement were performed by analyzing the distribution of variances using statistical package SPSS Version 25.0. RESULTS: A total of 586 surgeons accessed the survey. Analyzing the responses of 292 submitted surveys regional differences in opinion amongst spine surgeons showed that the highest percentage of surgeons in Asia (72.8%) and South America (70.2%) thought that MISST was accepted into mainstream spinal surgery in their practice area (P=0.04) versus North America (62.8%), Europe (52.8%), and Africa & Middle East region (50%). The percentage of spine surgeons employing MISST was much higher per region than the rate of surgeons who thought it was mainstream: Asia (96.7%), Europe (88.9%), South America (88.9%), and Africa & Middle East (87.5%). Surgeons in North America reported the lowest rate of MISST implementation globally (P<0.000). Spinal endoscopy (59.9%) is currently the most commonly employed MISST globally followed by mini-open approaches (55.1%), and tubular retractor systems (41.8%). The most preferred endoscopic approach to the spine is the transforaminal technique (56.2%) followed by interlaminar (41.8%), full endoscopic (35.3%), and over the top MISST (13.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The rate of implementation of MISST into day-to-day clinical practice reported by spine surgeons was universally higher than the perceived acceptance rates of MISST into the mainstream by their peers in their practice area. The survey suggests that endoscopic spinal surgery is now the most commonly performed MISST.

Standalone lordotic endoscopic wedge lumbar interbody fusion (LEW-LIF™) with a threaded cylindrical peek cage: report of two cases.

We report two cases of a standalone lordotic endoscopic wedge lumbar interbody fusion (LEW-LIF™) with a stress-neutral non-expandable cylindrical threaded polyether ether ketone (PEEK) interbody fusion implant. Patients underwent full-endoscopic transforaminal decompression and fusion for symptomatic lateral recess stenosis due to disc herniation, and hypertrophy of the facet joint complex and ligamentum flavum and no more than grade I spondylolisthesis. Lumbar interbody fusion with cages traditionally calls for posterior supplemental fixation with pedicle screws for added stability. A more simplified version of lumbar decompression and fusion without pedicle screws would allow treating patients suffering from stenosis and instability induced sciatica-type low back and leg pain in an outpatient ambulatory surgery center setting (ASC). This would realize a significant reduction in cost as well as the burden to the patient with decreased postoperative pain and earlier return to function. A 62-year-old female patient had surgery at L4/5 for a 6-year history of worsening right sided sciatica-type leg- and low back pain. Another 79-year-old female had the same surgical management at L4/5 for a 5-year history of unrelenting left-sided spondylolisthesis-related symptoms. Both patients had an uneventful postoperative course until the last available follow-up of 24 weeks with greater than 60% VAS and Oswestry disability index (ODI) reductions. There was no evidence of implant expulsion, subsidence, or postoperative instability. We concluded that standalone outpatient lumbar transforaminal endoscopic interbody fusion with a non-expandable threaded cylindrical cage is feasible, and favorable clinical outcomes provide proof of concept to study long-term clinical outcomes in larger groups of patients.

Abordaje interlaminar complementamente endoscópico para hernias centrales extruidas y migradas en L5­S1. Serie de casos / Full-endoscopic interlaminar approach for L5- S1 extruded and migrated central hernias. Case series study

Introducción La cirugía endoscópica de columna ha demostrado ser una opción en el tratamiento de hernias discal y estenosis foraminal. El abordaje más empleado es la vía transforaminal, sin embargo, este abordaje es limitado en casos de hernias discales centrales extruidas y migradas. El abordaje interlaminar completamente endoscópico ha permitido el tratamiento sintomático de hernias discales centrales extruidas y migradas en el nivel L5 ­ S1, además es una novedosa alternativa para la resolución de las dificultades técnicas relacionadas con el abordaje posterolateral en éste nivel. El propósito del estudio es reportar los resultados obtenidos con el abordaje endoscópica interlaminar en el tratamiento de hernias discales centrales extruidas y migradas en dos años de seguimiento. Materiales y métodos Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo observacional descriptivo con las historias de pacientes que presentaron sintomatología radicular secundaria a hernia discal central en el nivel L5 ­ S1 y que fueron tratados con cirugía por abordaje interlaminar completamente endoscópico. Se evaluaron los índices de escala visual análoga (EVA) pre y posoperatorio, el criterio Oswestry ODI y el criterio MacNab. Resultados Entre los años 2008 y 2015 se realizaron un total de 99 procedimientos en el mismo número de pacientes. Todos fueron sometidos a una técnica quirúrgica estándar bajo anestesia local y sedación. La EVA tuvo una reducción de 5,81 puntos. El ODI bajó 45,63%. Y el 88% de los pacientes tuvo una completa satisfacción frente al tratamiento. Discusión Los resultados obtenidos en esta muestra permiten considerar la fragmentectomía interlaminar endoscópica bajo anestesia local y sedación como un procedimiento seguro, preciso y efectivo en la resolución del dolor secundario a hernias discales centrales extruidas y migradas en el nivel L5 ­ S1 que cursan con radiculopatía. El uso de anestesia local y sedación como única alternativa analgésica puede no ser la mejor opción en este tipo de técnicas Nivel de evidencia IV

Background Endoscopic spine surgery has shown to be an option for disc hernias and foraminal stenosis. Although the most used approach is transforaminal, this approach is limited in cases of extruded and migrated central hernias. The full-endoscopic interlaminar approach has led to the treatment of the lumbar pain secondary to extruded and migrated central herniated discs at L5 - S1, and is an alternative for resolving technical difficulties related to the transforaminal approach at this level. The aim of this article is to report the results obtained with a full-endoscopic interlaminar approach for the treatment of central extruded and migrated herniated discs, with a two-year follow-up. Methods A descriptive observational retrospective study was conducted using the records of patients who had a radiculopathy secondary to a central herniated disc at level L5 - S1, and who were treated with a full-endoscopic interlaminar approach. An evaluation was made of the pre-operative and post-operative visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, Oswestry ODI criteria, and MacNab criteria. Results A total of 99 procedures were performed in the same number of patients between 2008 and 2015. All were treated with a standard surgical technique and under local anaesthesia and sedation. The visual analogue score showed a reduction of 5.81 points. The ODI was down 45.63%, and 88% of the patients were completely satisfied with the treatment. Discussion The results lead us to consider that full-endoscopic interlaminar fragmentectomy under local anaesthesia and sedation is a safe, accurate, and effective procedure for the treatment of radiculopathy related to L5 - S1 extruded and migrated central hernia. Use of local anaesthesia and sedation as the only analgesic alternative may not be the best option in this type of technique. Evidence Level IV

Guía de instrucción en endoscopia de columna avanzado / Instruction guide in advanced endoscopy of the Spine

La evolución de las técnicas quirúrgicas tradicionales y los modelos de formación de los cirujanos exigen cambios, por esta razón el centro de investigación y entrenamiento en cirugía de mínima invasión (CLEMI) ha desarrollado y aplicado modelos de enseñanza que permiten entrenar técnicas quirúrgicas mínimamente invasivas como la endoscopia de columna. CLEMI propone un modelo basado en simulación impartido en un ambiente controlado, estructurado y progresivo que vaya al ritmo individual de cada uno de los participantes. Inicialmente el asistente encontrará conceptos teóricos de instrumental, equipos y la técnica quirúrgica, posteriormente en la fase práctica se aplicarán los conceptos adquiridos usando un modelo sawbone de columna lumbar y finalmente se realizará la practica en un modelo anatómico humano sobre el que se desarrollan de manera completa y guiada los diferentes procedimientos endoscópicos usados a nivel lumbar. El entrenamiento en modelos bajo un ambiente controlado disminuye el período de aprendizaje y eleva la competencia del estudiante.

The evolution of traditional surgical techniques and training models of surgeons require changes. For this reason the centre of research and training in minimally invasive surgery (CLEMI) has developed and applied teaching models that help in the training of minimally invasive surgical techniques such as the endoscopy of the spine. CLEMI proposes a model based on simulation taught in a controlled, structured, and progressive environment that is adjusted to the individual rhythm of each of the participants. The student will initially encounter the theoretical concepts of instruments, equipment, and the surgical technique. This will be followed by a practical phase in which the acquired concepts will be applied using a sawbone model of the lumbar spine. Finally the practice will be carried out on a human anatomical model on which they develop, in a complete and guided manner, the different endoscopic procedures used at the lumbar level. Model training in a controlled environment decreases the learning period and increases student skills.

Multispecialty and multilanguage training in spine surgery: A Latin-American experience / Entrenamiento en cirugía de columna en diferentes idiomas y especialidades. Experiencia latinoamericana

OBJECTIVE: To report the experience of minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) training course in different languages and specialties for Latin American spine surgeons, and on their level of satisfaction with the curriculum. METHODS: A total of 29 hands-on training workshops were conducted over a period of 6 years, on using a MISS technique for degenerative disk disease. The participants completed two questionnaires aimed at evaluating the activities including the methodology, objectives, suitability of facilities, and instruments provided, as well as general satisfaction. Statistical analysis was performed using R 3.1.1 for Windows. Demographic and descriptive statistics were employed. RESULTS: A total of 366 specialists took part and included neurosurgeons, orthopaedists, and anaesthesiologists. The questionnaire was answered by 249 medical doctors from 12 Latin American countries, 98% of which professed to be satisfied with the training activity. CONCLUSIONS: The use of educational tools, such as surgical simulators contributes to the new learning process techniques and adds confidence to the surgeons. The implementation of workshops conducted using strict planning leads to a high level of satisfaction among the participants, thus minimizing the differences between specialties or languages

OBJETIVO: Presentar la experiencia lograda en el entrenamiento en técnicas mínimamente invasivas de columna para cirujanos de toda Latinoamérica con diferentes especialidades e idiomas, y reportar el grado de satisfacción con el currículo implementado. MÉTODOS: Se realizaron un total de 29 entrenamientos durante 6 años en una técnica mínimamente invasiva de columna para el tratamiento de discopatía degenerativa. Los participantes respondieron 2 encuestas con el fin de evaluar el contenido curricular general de la actividad de entrenamiento. Se analizaron las encuestas empleando el programa R 3.1.1 para Windows. RESULTADOS: Un total de 366 especialistas realizaron el entrenamiento. Las especialidades entre los participantes fueron: neurocirujanos, ortopedas y anestesiólogos. Las encuestas fueron contestadas por un total de 249 médicos de 12 países de América Latina. El 98% de los encuestados avaló el modelo educativo y el currículo en general. CONCLUSIONES: El uso de herramientas educativas, como la simulación quirúrgica, contribuye a los procesos de entrenamiento de nuevas técnicas quirúrgicas y permite a los cirujanos lograr confianza para el momento en que tengan que realizarlas. La implementación de talleres de entrenamiento conducidos bajo un plan curricular permite un alto grado de satisfacción en los participantes, y minimiza las diferencias entre especialidades e idiomas