Neurosurgery
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This article traces some of the developments in the practice of neurosurgery which have come about dependent upon certain technological advances.
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Bypass surgery for brain aneurysms is evolving from extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) to intracranial-intracranial (IC-IC) bypasses that reanastomose parent arteries, revascularize efferent branches with in situ donor arteries or reimplantation, and reconstruct bifurcated anatomy with grafts that are entirely intracranial. We compared results with these newer IC-IC bypasses to conventional EC-IC bypasses. ⋯ IC-IC bypasses compare favorably to EC-IC bypasses in terms of aneurysm obliteration rates, bypass patency rates, and neurological outcomes. IC-IC bypasses can be more technically challenging to perform, but they do not require harvest of extracranial donor arteries, spare patients a neck incision, shorten interposition grafts, are protected inside the cranium, use caliber-matched donor and recipient arteries, and are not associated with ischemic complications during temporary arterial occlusions. IC-IC bypass can replace conventional EC-IC bypass with more anatomic reconstructions for selected aneurysms involving the middle cerebral artery, posteroinferior cerebellar artery, anterior cerebral artery, and basilar apex.
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Review
Intraoperative nerve action potential recordings: technical considerations, problems, and pitfalls.
The purpose of this article is to provide our experience with intraoperative nerve action potential (NAP) recordings. In particular, we focus on a discussion of the technical considerations of intraoperative NAP with emphasis on identifying and remedying problems and pitfalls. ⋯ Visual inspection of a nerve lesion in continuity can be misleading. Although there is no "head-to-head" comparison of our data with data obtained without the use of intraoperative NAP recordings, we feel strongly that with experience and knowledge of the problems and pitfalls regarding intraoperative recording techniques, one may take advantage of the great benefits of this very useful and informative surgical tool.
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Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a serious complication of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We hypothesized that antiplatelet medication use and platelet activity would be associated with more IVH. ⋯ Reduced platelet activity was related to more IVH as a complication of ICH. The relationship of platelet activity to IVH deserves further study.
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Herein, we provide an unbiased review of piriformis syndrome (PS), a highly controversial syndrome for which no consensus exists regarding diagnostic criteria or pathophysiology. ⋯ PS remains a controversial diagnosis for sciatic pain. The debate regarding the clinical significance of PS remains active. Nonetheless, there may be a subset of patients in whom the piriformis muscle is a source of pain. The syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with unilateral lower extremity pain.