• Yakov Gologorsky, Sharona Ben-Haim, Erin L Moshier, James Godbold, Michele Tagliati, Donald Weisz, and Ron L Alterman.
• Department of Neurosurgery, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
• Neurosurgery. 2011 Aug 1; 69 (2): 294-9; discussion 299-300.

BackgroundDeep brain stimulation (DBS) at the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is an effective treatment for the motor manifestations of advanced medically refractory Parkinson disease. Because of the medial location of the target, surgical trajectories to the STN may violate the ipsilateral lateral ventricle.ObjectiveTo determine whether violating the ventricle during STN DBS surgery is associated with postoperative confusion.MethodsA retrospective chart review of all STN implantation procedures for Parkinson disease performed by 1 surgeon between January 2005 and September 2008 was performed. Postoperative magnetic resonance imaging was performed in all cases, and each scan was reviewed for evidence of ventricular wall violation. All charts were reviewed for postoperative confusion and/or increased length of hospital stay.ResultsA total of 145 leads were implanted in 81 patients over 102 admissions. Forty-three patients underwent contemporaneous bilateral lead implantation; 23 underwent unilateral implantation; and 18 underwent staged bilateral implantation. The cases of 8 patients were complicated by postoperative confusion and increased length of stay. Sixteen magnetic resonance imaging scans demonstrated evidence of ventricular wall violation including all 8 patients with postoperative confusion. The relative risk of having postoperative confusion after traversing the ventricle is 87 (P < .001).ConclusionViolating the ventricular system during STN DBS surgery correlated significantly with postoperative altered mental status and subsequent increased length of hospital stay. This finding may explain why cognitive complications are observed more frequently in Parkinson disease patients undergoing DBS at the STN compared with the internal globus pallidus.

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