Fetal Surgery for Open Spina Bifida in Canada: Initial Results.

OBJECTIVE: Fetal myelomeningocele closure results in better infant outcomes than postnatal closure at the cost of potential prematurity and maternal morbidity. Our aim is to describe the setup of a fetal myelomeningocele closure program in Canada and document its outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of all open fetal myelomeningocele closure surgeries performed at the Ontario Fetal Centre in its first 3 years of operation (2017-2020). Maternal and fetal baseline characteristics, surgical details, pregnancy outcomes, and infant follow-up until 1 year of age were recorded. RESULTS: Twenty-seven women underwent fetal myelomeningocele closure surgery, 10 of whom (37%) resided outside of Ontario. Mean gestational age at surgery was 25.0 ± 0.7 weeks. All surgeries were technically uncomplicated and no fetal deaths occurred. There was a significant negative correlation between increasing experience and skin-to-skin surgical time (R²â€¯= 0.36; P = 0.001). Of the 26 patients who have delivered, 4 (15.4%) experienced preterm prelabour rupture of membranes. Mean gestational age at delivery was 34.9±3.0 weeks. All but 1 patient delivered by cesarean. Maternal complications occurred in 9 women (34.6%). There were no maternal deaths, but 3 (11.5%) infant deaths. Of the 14 surviving infants who have reached at least 1 year of age, 5 (35.7%) underwent ventriculo-peritoneal shunting. Of the 9 infants who have not yet reached 1 year of age, 3 (33.3%) underwent endoscopic third ventriculostomy and none underwent shunting. CONCLUSION: Fetal open spina bifida closure can be performed in Canada, with results similar to those reported by other international expert centres. Long-term follow-up is ongoing.

Comparison of Surgical Wait Times and Procedure Length in the Management of Postaxial Polydactyly Using Local or General Anesthesia.

Introduction: For infants with ulnar polydactyly, surgical removal of the supernumerary digit can be performed under general or local anesthetic. This study evaluated the wait times, surgical duration, and sedation times associated with performing the procedure under local versus general anesthetic in infants with ulnar polydactyly. Methods: The databases of three surgeons at our institution were reviewed for children less than 2 years of age who underwent surgery for non-syndromic ulnar polydactyly. Data collection included patient demographics, wait times, duration of surgery and sedation and complications. Results: The study included children (n = 55) who received treatment under local (n = 22) or general (n = 33) anesthesia. The wait times for the local anesthetic group were significantly shorter than the general anesthetic group (p < 0.05) for: referral to first consultation appointment; referral to surgery date, and decision date to surgery date. The duration of surgery (17.9 ± 6.9 vs 36.6 ± 20.2 min) and sedation time (26.3 ± 11.1 vs 74.8 ± 29.1 min) were significantly shorter in the local anaesthetic group (p < 0.05). There were no differences in complication rates between the groups. Conclusion: In this single-institution retrospective analysis, treatment of non-syndromic ulnar polydactyly with local anesthetic and bottle sedation was associated with shorter wait times, and duration of surgery and sedation. Level of Evidence: III, retrospective chart review and quality improvement initiative.

Introduction : Chez les nourrissons présentant une polydactylie cubitale, il est possible de procéder à l'ablation chirurgicale du doigt excédentaire sous anesthésie locale ou générale. La présente étude visait à évaluer les temps d'attente, la durée de l'opération et la durée de la sédation associés à l'intervention lorsqu'elle était effectuée sous anesthésie locale ou générale chez les nourrissons présentant une polydactylie cubitale. méthodes : Les chercheurs ont fouillé les bases de données de trois chirurgiens de leur établissement pour en extraire les cas d'enfants de moins de deux ans ayant subi une opération de la polydactylie cubitale non syndromique. La collecte de données incluait les caractéristiques des patients, les temps d'attente, la durée de l'opération et de la sédation et les complications. Résultats : La présente étude incluait des enfants (n=55) qui avaient été traités sous anesthésie locale (n=22) ou générale (n=33). Le temps d'attente du groupe sous anesthésie locale était beaucoup plus court que celui du groupe sous anesthésie générale (p<0,05) pour ce qui est de la période entre l'orientation et la première consultation, l'orientation et la date de l'opération, ainsi que la date de la décision et la date de l'opération. La durée de l'opération (17,9 ± 6,9 minutes par rapport à 36,6 ± 20,2 minutes) et de la sédation (26,3 ± 11,1 minutes par rapport à 74,8 ± 29,1 minutes) était beaucoup plus courte dans le groupe sous anesthésie locale (p<0,05). Il n'y avait pas de différence entre les groupes à l'égard des taux de complications. Conclusion : Dans cette analyse rétrospective mono-institutionnelle, le traitement de la polydactylie cubitale non syndromique accompagné d'une anesthésie locale et d'une sédation par bonbonne était associé à une diminution du temps d'attente ainsi que de la durée d'opération et de sédation.

Conditioning Electrical Stimulation Is Superior to Postoperative Electrical Stimulation in Enhanced Regeneration and Functional Recovery Following Nerve Graft Repair.

Background. Autologous nerve graft is the most common clinical intervention for repairing a nerve gap. However, its regenerative capacity is decreased in part because, unlike a primary repair, the regenerating axons must traverse 2 repair sites. Means to promote nerve regeneration across a graft are needed. Postoperative electrical stimulation (PES) improves nerve growth by reducing staggered regeneration at the coaptation site whereas conditioning electrical stimulation (CES) accelerates axon extension. In this study, we directly compared these electrical stimulation paradigms in a model of nerve autograft repair. Methods. To lay the foundation for clinical translation, regeneration and reinnervation outcomes of CES and PES in a 5-mm nerve autograft model were compared. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into: (a) CES, (b) PES, and (c) no stimulation cohorts. CES was delivered 1 week prior to nerve cut/coaptation, and PES was delivered immediately following coaptation. Length of nerve regeneration (n = 6/cohort), and behavioral testing (n = 16/cohort) were performed at 14 days and 6 to 14 weeks post-coaptation, respectively. Results. CES treated axons extended 5.9 ± 0.2 mm, significantly longer than PES (3.8 ± 0.2 mm), or no stimulation (2.5 ± 0.2 mm) (P < .01). Compared with PES animals, the CES animals had significantly improved sensory recovery (von Frey filament testing, intraepidermal nerve fiber reinnervation) (P < .001) and motor reinnervation (horizontal ladder, gait analysis, nerve conduction studies, neuromuscular junction analysis) (P < .01). Conclusion. CES resulted in faster regeneration through the nerve graft and improved sensorimotor recovery compared to all other cohorts. It is a promising treatment to improve outcomes in patients undergoing nerve autograft repair.