World Neurosurg
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The ability to understand factors associated with an increased duration of missed work postoperatively could be used to more effectively select patients with the greatest opportunity for a successful outcome. We set out to determine the effect of preoperative depression on postoperative return to work in patients undergoing transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for degenerative spondylolisthesis. ⋯ Independent of postoperative improvement in pain, disability, and quality of life, the extent of preoperative depression was an independent predictor of time to return to work in patients undergoing TLIF for spondylolisthesis, suggesting that regardless of how successful TLIF surgery may be at improving a patient's pain, disability, or quality of life, greater depression will delay or prohibit their ability to return to work postoperatively.
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Impaired systemic hormonal activity caused by hypothalamic and pituitary injury may contribute to neuropsychologic disturbances and poor quality of life after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). This prospective study was designed to longitudinally evaluate long-term clinical outcome and pituitary function after SAH using dynamic tests for adrencorticotropic and somatotropic secretory capacity. ⋯ Application of dynamic endocrine tests revealed a high frequency of long-term hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction after aneurysmal SAH. The role of pituitary dysfunction in the recovery after SAH merits further evaluation.
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To examine in-hospital mortality and postoperative major complications in patients undergoing fusion surgery for atlantoaxial subluxation (AAS) and to examine whether the risk of perioperative complications varies between patients with and without rheumatoid arthritis (RA). ⋯ The in-hospital mortality after fusion surgery for AAS was relatively low. However, patients with RA had an increased risk of postoperative complications and massive blood transfusion compared with patients without RA.
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Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with bilateral segmental pedicle screw (PS) fixation is a widely used and well-recognized technique that provides fixation and load-bearing capacity, while restoring morphometric spine parameters and relieving symptoms in patients with degenerative disc disease. A supplemental interspinous process fixation plate (ISFP) as an adjunct to unilateral PS fixation allows for reduced invasiveness of this technique compared with bilateral PS placement. The biomechanical comparison results have been previously reported, but the significance of these findings has not been studied in clinical settings. ⋯ Significantly reduced surgical invasiveness was associated with unilateral PS + ISFP fixation, which represents the major advantage of this technique. Unilateral fixation was also associated with a slightly lower reduction in FH and was equally effective as bilateral PS fixation in regard to fusion rates, clinical outcomes, and other radiographic outcomes studied.