Neurosurgery
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Nonawake vs Awake Placement of Spinal Cord Stimulators: A Prospective, Multicenter Study Comparing Safety and Efficacy.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a common intervention for managing intractable pain. Generally, leads are implanted in a minimally invasive procedure with verbal feedback regarding the location and nature of generated paresthesias by active stimulation; in this way their optimal location can be confirmed. However, lead placement under general anesthesia can have additional benefits. ⋯ Electrophysiological monitoring during asleep SCS implantation is a robust tool becoming more frequently used. This comparative prospective series demonstrates that asleep placement allows for shorter procedure and operating room times with superior paresthesia coverage profiles, while maintaining lower adverse events and equal clinical outcomes for pain relief.
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Multicenter Study
Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Intracranial Ependymomas: An International Multicenter Study.
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a potentially important option for intracranial ependymoma patients. ⋯ SRS provides another management option for residual or recurrent progressive intracranial ependymoma patients who have failed initial surgery and RT.
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Osteoporotic and neoplastic vertebral compression fractures (VCF) are common and painful, threatening quality of life and increasing risk of morbidity and mortality. Balloon kyphoplasty is a percutaneous option for treating painful cancer- and osteoporosis-related VCFs, supported by 2 randomized trials demonstrating efficacy benefits of BKP over nonsurgical care. ⋯ This large, prospective, clinical study demonstrates that kyphoplasty is a safe, effective, and durable procedure for treating patients with painful VCF due to osteoporosis or cancer.