Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialThe Barrow Ruptured Aneurysm Trial: 6-year results.
The authors report the 6-year results of the Barrow Ruptured Aneurysm Trial (BRAT). This ongoing randomized trial, with the final goal of a 10-year follow-up, compares the safety and efficacy of surgical clip occlusion and endovascular coil embolization in patients presenting with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) from a ruptured aneurysm. The 1- and 3-year results of this trial have been previously reported. ⋯ Although BRAT was statistically underpowered to detect small differences, these results suggest little difference in outcome between the 2 treatments for anterior circulation aneurysms. This was not the case for the posterior circulation aneurysms, where coil embolization appeared to provide a sustained advantage over clipping. Aneurysm obliteration rates in BRAT were significantly lower and retreatment rates significantly higher in the patients undergoing coiling than in those undergoing clipping. However, despite the fact that retreatment rates were higher after coiling, no recurrent hemorrhages were known to have occurred in patients undergoing coiling in BRAT who were followed up for 6 years. Sufficient questions remain about the relative benefits of the 2 treatment modalities to warrant further well-designed randomized trials.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialOperative complications and differences in outcome after clipping and coiling of ruptured intracranial aneurysms.
Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, with better outcomes reported following endovascular coiling compared with neurosurgical clipping of the aneurysm. The authors evaluated the contribution of perioperative complications and neurological decline to patient outcomes after both aneurysm-securing procedures. ⋯ Neurosurgical clipping following aSAH is associated with a greater perioperative decline in GCS scores than endovascular coiling, which is in turn associated with poorer long-term outcomes. These findings provide novel insight into putative mechanisms of improved outcomes following coiling, highlighting the potential importance of perioperative factors when comparing outcomes between clipping and coiling and the need to mitigate the morbidity of surgical strategies following aSAH.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Aug 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyComparative effectiveness and safety of image guidance systems in neurosurgery: a preclinical randomized study.
Over the last decade, image guidance systems have been widely adopted in neurosurgery. Nonetheless, the evidence supporting the use of these systems in surgery remains limited. The aim of this study was to compare simultaneously the effectiveness and safety of various image guidance systems against that of standard surgery. ⋯ New augmented reality platforms may improve performance in less-experienced surgeons. However, all image display modalities, including existing triplanar displays, carry a risk of inattentional blindness.
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Journal of neurosurgery · May 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyProspective randomized study comparing clinical, functional, and aesthetic results of minipterional and classic pterional craniotomies.
OBJECT The object of this study was to compare the clinical, functional, and aesthetic results of 2 surgical techniques, pterional (PT) and minipterional (MPT) craniotomies, for microsurgical clipping of anterior circulation aneurysms. METHODS Fifty-eight patients with ruptured and unruptured anterior circulation aneurysms were enrolled into a prospective randomized study. The first group included 28 patients who underwent the MPT technique, and the second group comprised 30 patients who underwent the classic PT craniotomy. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS Minipterional craniotomy provides clinical results similar to those of the PT technique. Moreover, it provides better cosmetic results. It can be used safely and effectively to surgically treat aneurysms of the anterior circulation instead of the PT approach.
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Journal of neurosurgery · May 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialLaparoscopically assisted ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement: a prospective randomized controlled trial.
OBJECT In ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt surgery, laparoscopic assistance can be used for placement of the peritoneal catheter. Until now, the efficacy of laparoscopic shunt placement has been investigated only in retrospective and nonrandomized prospective studies, which have reported decreased distal shunt dysfunction rates in patients undergoing laparascopic placement compared with mini-laparotomy cohorts. In this randomized controlled trial the authors compared rates of shunt failure in patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for peritoneal catheter placement with rates in patients who underwent traditional mini-laparotomy. ⋯ Infections occurred in 1 patient in the laparoscopic group and 3 in the mini-laparotomy group. The mean durations of surgery and hospitalization were similar in the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS While overall shunt failure rates were similar in the 2 groups, the use of laparoscopic shunt placement significantly reduced the rate of distal shunt failure compared with mini-laparotomy.