World Neurosurg
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The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed health care, forcing providers to adopt and implement telehealth technology to provide continuous care for their patients. Amid this rapid transition from in-person to remote visits, differences in telehealth utilization have arisen among neurosurgical subspecialties. In this study, we analyze the impact of telehealth on neurosurgical healthcare delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic at our institution and highlight differences in telehealth utilization across different neurosurgical subspecialties. ⋯ During the COVID-19 pandemic, neurosurgical subspecialties varied in adoption of telehealth, which may be due to the specific nature of each subspecialty and their necessity to perform in-person evaluations. Telehealth visits will likely continue after the pandemic as they can improve clinical efficiency; overall, both patients and physicians are satisfied with health care delivery over video.
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Present guidelines on reducing aerosol generation during neurosurgical procedures are futile. The aim of this article was to describe a novel device to contain aerosol within a small localized environment around the operative field-the negative pressure assisted microenvironment surgical hood (NEPA-MESH). ⋯ As definitive evidence demonstrating the presence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in aerosol particles is awaited, we describe a cost-effective strategy to reduce aerosol contamination. Significant reduction in particle concentrations was seen outside the NEPA-MESH compared with inside it during various stages of neurosurgical procedures.
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Knowledge concerning the curvature of the vertebrae through the transverse section is of clinical significance. However, relevant reports are scarce. This study investigated the features based on the cross-sections of lumbar vertebral endplates to provide information for clinical practice. ⋯ The current study described morphologic variations and curvature of the lumbar vertebral endplates, which have not been reported previously. The different curvature distribution could provide important information for surgeons and manufacturers.