World Neurosurg
-
Review Historical Article
History of Neurosurgery in Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Neurosurgery in Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has undergone remarkable progress since its beginning in the 1950s. With the initial support from socialist countries of the Soviet bloc, especially Professor Constantin Arseni of Romania, the nation has consistently produced a number of its own neurosurgeons each year and fostered further advancement by establishing the Korean Neurosurgery Association (DPRK). Despite the recent international collaborative activity for North Korean neurosurgery-namely with Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery, World Federation of Neurological Surgeons, and Korean American Medical Association-the sparse exchange of information, knowledge, and surgical skills still remains largely inadequate.
-
Comparative Study
Dhaga Technique for Tissue Plane Preservation after Decompressive Craniectomy: Comparison of New Technique with Institutional Standard.
During cranioplasty after decompressive craniectomy, the temporalis muscle is firmly attached to the dural patch and intermixed with fibrotic tissue leading to considerable difficulty in dissecting the plane between the dura, galea and the temporalis muscle. This leads to increased surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, risk of complications and also affects rehabilitation. We have developed the "dhaga technique," which aids in preserving the plane between the muscle and dura in order to improve outcomes. Here we describe our technique and also compare the "dhaga technique" with the generally accepted standard procedure. ⋯ The utilization of "dhaga technique" can potentially improve outcomes and reduce costs by decreasing operative time and blood loss. Moreover, the temporalis muscle preservation in the "dhaga technique" may also enhance aesthetic outcomes and chewing, which were not assessed in this study. There were no differences in complication between the two techniques.
-
Lumbar fusion is a widely used procedure for degenerative spine diseases but frequently is accompanied with substantial surgical blood loss. We aimed to investigate the risk factors for significant intraoperative blood loss and the influence of excessive bleeding on postoperative complications in patients undergoing fusion for degenerative lumbar spines. ⋯ Because substantial bleeding in lumbar fusion is associated with a greater incidence of morbidities and prolonged length of hospital stay, attention to the risk factors for significant blood loss is important in the preoperative assessment and postoperative guidance for the level of care.
-
We report the efficacy and safety of surgical treatment with the orbitozygomatic transsylvian approach and the rarity of accompanying subarachnoid hemorrhage, Terson syndrome, and ruptured giant basilar tip aneurysm in a patient affected by moyamoya disease with a good outcome. ⋯ The rarity and different manifestations of moyamoya disease require individualized decision making with regard to cerebrovascular complications. Individualized decision making and the cooperation of medical teams are the mainstays of treatment.