Neurosurgery
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Frailty is influential in determining operative outcomes, including complications, in patients with cervical deformity (CD). ⋯ Although frail patients improved more often by 1Y, SF patients achieve most of their clinical improvement between 1 and 2Y. Frailty is associated with factors such as osteoporosis, poor alignment, neurological status, sarcopenia, and other medical comorbidities. Similarly, clinical outcomes can be affected by many factors (fusion status, number of pain generators within treated levels, integrity of soft tissues and bone, and deformity correction). Although accounting for such factors will ultimately determine whether frailty alone is an independent risk factor, these preliminary findings may suggest that frailty status affects the clinical outcomes and improvement after CD surgery.
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Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) represents an effective treatment for severe Parkinson's disease (PD), but little is known about the long-term benefit. ⋯ STN DBS is a safe and effective treatment for patients with advanced PD. This study based on the long-term follow-up of large patient populations can be used to elucidate the long-term fate of patients who underwent bilateral STN DBS for PD.