Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Dec 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialNo effect of enoxaparin on outcome of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
From the moment an intracranial aneurysm ruptures, cerebral blood flow is impaired, and this impairment mainly determines the outcome in patients who survive after the initial bleeding. The exact mechanism of impairment is unknown, but activation of coagulation and fibrinolysis correlate with clinical condition and outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The purpose of this study was to determine whether enoxaparin, a low-molecular-weight heparin, which is a well-known anticoagulating agent, has any effect on the outcome of aneurysmal SAH postoperatively. ⋯ Enoxaparin seemed to have no effect on the outcome of aneurysmal SAH in patients who had already received routine nimodipine and who had received triple-H therapy when needed. Routine use of low-molecular-weight heparin should be avoided during the early postoperative period in patients with SAH, because this agent seems to increase intracranial bleeding complications slightly, with no beneficial effect on neurological outcome.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Dec 2003
Case ReportsClinical application of robotic telemanipulation system in neurosurgery. Case report.
The NeuRobot is a telecontrolled microscopic micromanipulator system designed for neurosurgical procedures. The unit houses a three-dimensional endoscope and three robot arms that the surgeon operates without direct contact with the patient. The authors have successfully performed robotics-assisted neurosurgical procedures by using the NeuRobot in a 54-year-old man who had a recurrent atypical meningioma. ⋯ No complication related to the use of the NeuRobot was encountered and the patient's postoperative course was uneventful. Although various kinds of robots have been developed for use in neurosurgery in recent years, a robotic telemanipulation system capable of performing several surgical tasks has not previously been introduced to clinical neurosurgery. This is the first case report in which neurosurgical manipulation by a robotics system is described.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Dec 2003
Asymmetry of pressure autoregulation after traumatic brain injury.
The aim of this study was to assess the asymmetry of autoregulation between the left and right sides of the brain by using bilateral transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in a cohort of patients with head injuries. ⋯ The left-right difference in autoregulation is significantly associated with a fatal outcome. Autoregulation in the brain is worse on the side ipsilateral to the lesion and on the side of expansion in cases in which there is a midline shift.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Dec 2003
Characterization of perioperative seizures and epilepsy following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.
The reported incidence, timing, and predictive factors of perioperative seizures and epilepsy after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) have differed considerably because of a lack of uniform definitions and variable follow-up periods. In this study the authors evaluate the incidence, temporal course, and predictive factors of perioperative seizures and epilepsy during long-term follow up of patients with SAH who underwent surgical treatment. ⋯ Although up to one fifth of patients experienced seizure(s) after SAH, more than half had seizure(s) during the perioperative period. The frequency of late epilepsy in patients with perioperative seizures (7.8%) was not significantly higher than those without such seizures (6.8%). Perioperative seizures did not recur frequently and were not a significant predictor for late epilepsy.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Dec 2003
Microsurgical anatomy of the great cerebral vein of Galen and its tributaries.
The deep cerebral veins may pose a major obstacle in operative approaches to deep-seated lesions, especially in the pineal region where multiple veins converge on the great cerebral vein of Galen. Because undesirable sequelae may occur from such surgery, the number of veins and branches to be sacrificed during these approaches should kept to a minimum. The purpose of this study was to examine venous drainage into the vein of Galen with a view to surgical approaches. If a vein hampering surgical access must be sacrificed, it can therefore be selected according to the smallest draining territory. ⋯ When a surgeon approaches the pineal region, several veins may hamper the access route. From posterior to anterior, these include the following: the superior vermian and the precentral or superior cerebellar veins, which drain into the posteroinferior aspect of the vein of Galen; and the tectal and pineal veins, which drain into its anterosuperior aspect. The internal occipital vein is the main vessel draining into the lateral aspect of the vein of Galen. It may be joined by the posterior pericallosal vein, and in that case has an extensive territory. To avoid intraoperative venous infarction, it is important to use angiography to determine the venous organization before surgery and to estimate the permeability and size of the branches of the deep venous system.