Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Dec 2017
Biography Historical ArticleThe first formulation of image-based stereotactic principles: the forgotten work of Gaston Contremoulins.
Although image-based human stereotaxis began with Spiegel and Wycis in 1947, the major principles of radiographic stereotaxis were formulated 50 years earlier by the French scientific photographer Gaston Contremoulins. In 1897, frustrated by the high morbidity of bullet extraction from the brain, the Parisian surgeon Charles Rémy asked Contremoulins to devise a method for bullet localization using the then new technology of x-rays. In doing so, Contremoulins conceived of many of the modern principles of stereotaxis, including the use of a reference frame, radiopaque fiducials for registration, images to locate the target in relation to the frame, phantom devices to locate the target in relation to the fiducial marks, and the use of an adjustable pointer to guide the surgical approach. ⋯ By 1940, both he and his methods were forgotten. It was not until 1988 that he was rediscovered by Moreau while reviewing the history of French radiology, and chronicled by Mornet in his extensive biography. The authors examine Contremoulins' stereotactic methods in historical context, describe the details of his devices, relate his discoveries to his training in the fine arts, and discuss how his prescient formulation of stereotaxis was forgotten for more than half a century.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Dec 2017
Emergency department evaluation and 30-day readmission after craniotomy for primary brain tumor resection in New York State.
OBJECTIVE Fragmentation of care has been recognized as a major contributor to 30-day readmissions after surgical procedures. The authors investigated the association of evaluation in the hospital where the original procedure was performed with the rate of 30-day readmissions for patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) after craniotomy for primary brain tumor resection. METHODS A cohort study was conducted, involving patients who were evaluated in the ED within 30 days after discharge following a craniotomy for primary brain tumor resection between 2009 and 2013, and who were registered in the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database of New York State. ⋯ This corresponds to one less readmission per 12 patients evaluated in the hospital where the original procedure was performed. CONCLUSIONS Using a comprehensive all-payer cohort of patients in New York State who were evaluated in the ED after craniotomy for primary brain tumor resection, the authors identified an association of assessment in the hospital where the original procedure was performed with a lower rate of 30-day readmissions. This underscores the potential importance of continuity of care in readmission prevention for these patients.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Dec 2017
The rectus capitis lateralis and the condylar triangle: important landmarks in posterior and lateral approaches to the jugular foramen.
OBJECTIVE The rectus capitis lateralis (RCL) is a small posterior cervical muscle that originates from the transverse process of C-1 and inserts onto the jugular process of the occipital bone. The authors describe the RCL and its anatomical relationships, and discuss its utility as a surgical landmark for safe exposure of the jugular foramen in extended or combined skull base approaches. In addition, the condylar triangle is defined as a landmark for localizing the vertebral artery (VA) and occipital condyle. ⋯ To provide a landmark for identification of the occipital condyle and the extradural VA without exposure of the suboccipital triangle, the authors propose and define a condylar triangle that is formed by the RCL anteriorly, the superior oblique posteriorly, and the occipital bone superiorly. CONCLUSIONS The RCL is an important surgical landmark that allows for early identification of the critical neurovascular structures when approaching the jugular foramen, especially in the presence of anatomically displacing tumors. The condylar triangle is a novel and useful landmark for identifying the terminal segment of the hypoglossal canal as well as the superior aspect of the VA at its exit from the C-1 foramen transversarium, without performing a far-lateral exposure.
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The 2016 scientific meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) focused on the theme "A World of Innovation." In his presidential address, 2016 AANS President Frederick Boop compared the historical development of the specialty of neurological surgery with that of the development of global communications. In the early years, general surgeons training in the United States would spend post-residency time abroad learning from surgical masters in Europe and other places. Since Harvey Cushing's day, neurosurgeons from around the world continue to travel abroad, with many now coming to America for training at centers of excellence. ⋯ The Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation and the Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group have made it possible for a neurosurgeon anywhere with Internet access to learn relevant surgical anatomy, learn new neurosurgical procedures, and watch masters in the field perform operations via high-definition surgical videos at no cost via learning platforms such as the Rhoton Collection, the Neurosurgical Atlas, and Neurosurgical Focus video supplements. At the same time, patients are now traveling abroad to seek medical specialty care. Although the globalization of health care poses certain threats, it also presents neurosurgeons with a world of opportunities.