Glioblastoma: A Retrospective Analysis of the Role of the Maximal Surgical Resection on Overall Survival and Progression Free Survival

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor in adults; despite advances in the understanding of GBM pathogenesis, significant achievements in treating this disease are still lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of the extent of surgical resection (EOR), beyond the neoplastic mass, on the overall survival (OS). Methods: A retrospective review of a single-institution glioblastoma patient database (January 2012-September 2021) was undertaken. The series is composed of 64 patients who underwent surgery at the University Department of Neurosurgery of Ancona; the series was divided into four groups based on the amount of tumor mass excision with the fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) abnormalities (SUPr-supratotal resection, GTR-gross total resection, STR-subtotal resection, BIOPSY). The hypothesis was that the maximal resection of FLAIR abnormalities may improve the overall survival compared to the resection of the visible T1 contrast-enhanced neoplastic area only. Results: In the univariate analysis, SUPr and GTR are correlated with the overall survival (p = 0.001); the percentage of total neoplastic removal threshold conditioning outcome was 90% (p = 0.027). These results were confirmed by the multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Maximal surgical resection, when feasible, involving areas of FLAIR abnormalities represents an advantageous approach for the OS in GBM patients

Management of infected hydroxyapatite cranioplasty: Is salvage feasible?

Introduction: The use of hydroxyapatite cranioplasties has grown progressively over the past few decades. The peculiar biological properties of this material make it particularly suitable for patients with decompressive craniectomy where bone reintegration is a primary objective. However, hydroxyapatite infection rates are similar to those of other reconstructive materials. Research question: We investigated if infected hydroxyapatite implants could be saved or not. Materials and methods: We present a consecutive series over a 10-year period of nine patients treated for hydroxyapatite cranioplasty infection. Clinical and radiological data from admission and follow-up, photo and video material documenting the different phases of infection assessment and treatment, and final outcomes were retrospectively reviewed in an attempt to identify the best options and possible pitfalls in a case-by-case decisionmaking process. Results: Five unilateral and four bifrontal implants became infected. Wound rupture with cranioplasty exposure was the most common presentation. At revision, all implants were ossified, requiring a new craniotomy to clean the purulent epidural collections. The cranioplasty was fully saved in one hemispheric and 2 bifrontal implants and partially saved in the remaining 2 bifrontal implants. A complete cranioplasty removal was needed in the other 4 cases, but immediate cranial reconstruction was possible in 2. Skin defects were covered by free flaps in 3 cases. Four patients underwent adjunctive hyperbaric therapy, which was effective in one case. Discussion and conclusion: In our experience, infected hydroxyapatite cranioplasty management is complex and requires a multidisciplinary approach. Salvage of a hydroxyapatite implant is possible under specific circumstances. 1. Introduction The use of hydroxyapatite (HA) cranioplasty has progressively gained acceptance in neurosurgical practice over the past few decades (Stefini et al. 2013; Fricia et al. 2019). The unique biological properties of this material (especially its microporous structure aiming at osteointegration and its self-repairing ability in case of breaks) make it suitable for cranial reconstruction after decompressive craniectomy (DC), particularly in young patients (Staffa et al. 2012; Iaccarino et al. 2015). However, though several solutions have been proposed to avoid dislocations/ mobilizations, HA cranioplasties are difficult to adequately anchor to the surrounding skull. They are also usually thicker than other implants but practically no longer adjustable once placed, as any intraoperative modification could cause micro-fractures in the still fragile prosthese

Laminectomy versus Unilateral Hemilaminectomy for the Removal of Intraspinal Schwannoma: Experience of a Single Institution and Review of Literature

Background and Study Aims Spinal schwannomas are benign slow-growing tumors, and gross total resection is the gold standard of treatment. The conventional surgical approach is laminectomy, which provides a wide working area. Today minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is popular because it is associated with shorter hospital stay, less operative blood loss, minimized tissue traumas and relative postoperative pain, and, and spine surgery, avoidance of spinal instability. Material and Methods From January 2016 to December 2019, we operated on 40 patients with spinal intradural extramedullary tumor (schwannoma) with laminectomy or hemilaminectomy. Baseline medical data, including patients' sex and age, tumor location, days of postoperative bed rest, operative time, length of hospitalization, and 1-month visual analog scale (VAS) value were collected and analyzed. Data analysis was performed using STATA/IC 13.1 statistical package (StataCorp LP, College Station, Texas, United States). Results Hemilaminectomy was associated with faster operative time (p < 0.001), shorter postoperative time spent in bed (p < 0.001), and shorter hospitalization (p < 0.001). At 1-month follow-up, the mean VAS score was 4.6 (1.7) among the laminectomy patients and 2.5 (1.3) among the hemilaminectomy patients (p < 0.001). Postoperative complications occurred in 1 (7.7%) and 7 (25.9%) patients in the hemilaminectomy and laminectomy groups, respectively (p = 0.177). Conclusions Unilateral hemilaminectomy has significant advantages compared with laminectomy in spinal schwannoma surgery including shorter operative time, less time spent in bed, shorter hospitalization, and less postoperative pain. © 2021 Georg Thieme Verlag. All rights reserved

Laminectomy versus open-door laminoplasty for cervical spondylotic myelopathy: A clinical outcome analysis

Background: Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is one of the most common diseases in the geriatric population. Decompressive laminectomy or laminoplasty is the predominant surgical procedure of choice, but there remains debate as to which procedure is optimal for managing CSM. Methods: Here, we retrospectively analyzed 64 patients with CSM undergoing laminectomy (39 patients) versus laminoplasty (25 patients). The data were collected included respective Japanese orthopedic association (JOA) scores, Nurick grades, and Visual analog scale (VAS) values preoperatively versus 12 months postoperatively. Results: The JOA score after 1 month improved in both groups utilizing laminectomy or laminoplasty. However, at 12 postoperative months, the JOA scores and Nurick grades showed greater improvement following laminoplasty, despite no differences in postoperative pain and complication rates. Conclusion: Patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy undergoing laminoplasty (25 patients) showed better 12-month postoperative outcomes (JOA scores and Nurick grades) versus those having laminectomies (39 patients). Keywords: Cervical laminectomy, Cervical myelopathy, Cervical spondylotic myelopathy, Laminoplasty, Open-door technique, Spinal cord decompressio

The relationship between preoperative predictive factors for clinical outcome in patients operated for lumbar spinal stenosis by decompressive laminectomy

ABSTRACT Background: Our hypothesis was that by identifying certain preoperative predictive factors, we could favorably impact clinical outcomes in patients undergoing decompressive surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Methods: In this retrospective study, there were 65 patients (2016–2018) with symptomatic LSS who underwent decompressive laminectomy without fusion. Their clinical outcomes were assessed utilizing the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Multiple preoperative variables were studied to determine which ones would help predict improved outcomes: gender, age, body mass index (BMI), general/neurological examination, smoking, and drug therapies (anxiolytics and/or antidepressants). Results: All patients demonstrated statistically significant improvement on the ODI. Multivariate analysis revealed that those with higher preoperative BMI had significantly lower ODI on 1-year follow-up examinations, reflecting poorer outcomes. Postoperatively, 44 patients (67%) exhibited lower utilization of anxiolytic medications, 52 patients (80%) showed reduced use of antidepressant drugs, and pain medications utilization was reduced in 33 patients (50%). Conclusion: Decompressive laminectomy without fusion effectively managed LSS. It reduced patients’ use of pain, anxiety, and antidepressant medications. In addition, we found that increased preoperative BMIs contributed to poorer postoperative outcomes (e.g., ODI values)

Characterization and Ex Vivo Application of Indocyanine Green Chitosan Patches in Dura Mater Laser Bonding

Dura mater repair represents a final and crucial step in neurosurgery: an inadequate dural reconstruction determines dreadful consequences that significantly increase morbidity and mortality rates. Different dural substitutes have been used with suboptimal results. To overcome this issue, in previous studies, we proposed a laser-based approach to the bonding of porcine dura mater, evidencing the feasibility of the laser-assisted procedure. In this work, we present the optimization of this approach in ex vivo experiments performed on porcine dura mater. An 810-nm continuous-wave AlGaAs (Aluminium Gallium Arsenide) diode laser was used for welding Indocyanine Green-loaded patches (ICG patches) to the dura. The ICG-loaded patches were fabricated using chitosan, a resistant, pliable and stable in the physiological environment biopolymer; moreover, their absorption peak was very close to the laser emission wavelength. Histology, thermal imaging and leak pressure tests were used to evaluate the bonding effect. We demonstrated that the application of 3 watts (W), pulsed mode (Ton 30 ms, Toff 3.5 ms) laser light induces optimal welding of the ICG patch to the dura mater, ensuring an average fluid leakage pressure of 216 ± 105 mmHg, falling within the range of physiological parameters. This study demonstrated that the thermal effect is limited and spatially confined and that the laser bonding procedure can be used to close the dura mater. Our results showed the effectiveness of this approach and encourage further experiments in in vivo models

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on surgical neuro-oncology: A survey from the Italian society of neurosurgery (SINch)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on hospitals' activity and organization has imposed a vast change in standard neurosurgical oncology practice to accommodate for shifting resources. Aims: This investigation aims to analyse the nationwide capability in reorganizing the surgical neuro-oncological activity during the COVID-19 pandemic to evaluate whether COVID-19-pandemic influenced the surgical management in these patients. Method: A web-based dataset model organized by the Italian Neurosurgical Society (SINCh) was sent to all the Italian neurosurgical departments in May 2021, requesting to report the types and numbers of surgical procedures performed in the pre-pandemic period (from March 9th 2019 to March 9th 2020) compared to the pandemic period (from March 10th 2020 to March 10th 2021). Results: This multicentre investigation included the surgical activity of 35 Italian Neurosurgical Departments in a pre-pandemic year versus a pandemic year. During the COVID period, 699 fewer neuro-oncological patients were operated on than in the pre-COVID period. We noted a slight increase in urgency and a more severe decrease in elective and benign pathology. None of these differences was statistically significant. Surgically treated patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 were 36, of which 11 died. Death was found to be COVID-related only in 2 cases. Conclusion: The reorganization of the Italian Neurosurgical Departments was able to guarantee a redistribution of the CNS tumors during the inter-pandemic periods, demonstrating that patients even in the pandemic era could be treated without compromising the efficacy and safety of the surgical procedure