Carotid artery injury during endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery: incidence and outcomes

BackgroundInjury to the internal carotid artery (ICA) during endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery is a feared complication that is not well studied or reported.ObjectiveTo evaluate the incidence, to identify potential risk factors, and to present management strategies and outcomes of ICA injury during endonasal skull base surgery at our institution.MethodsWe performed a retrospective review of all endoscopic endonasal operations performed at our institution between 1998 and 2011 to examine potential factors predisposing to ICA injury. We also documented the perioperative management and outcomes after injury.ResultsThere were 7 ICA injuries encountered in 2015 endonasal skull base surgeries, giving an incidence of 0.3%. Most injuries (5 of 7) involved the left ICA, and the most common diagnosis was chondroid neoplasm (chordoma, chondrosarcoma; 3 of 7 [2% of 142 cases]). Two injuries occurred during 660 pituitary adenoma resections (0.3%). The paraclival ICA segment was the most commonly injured site (5 of 7), and transclival and transpterygoid approaches had a higher incidence of injury, although neither factor reached statistical significance. Four of 7 injured ICAs were sacrificed either intraoperatively or postoperatively. No patient suffered a stroke or neurological deficit. There were no intraoperative mortalities; 1 patient died postoperatively of cardiac ischemia. One of the 3 preserved ICAs developed a pseudoaneurysm over a mean follow-up period of 5 months that was treated endovascularly.ConclusionICA injury during endonasal skull base surgery is an infrequent and manageable complication. Preservation of the vessel remains difficult. Chondroid tumors represent a higher risk and should be resected by surgical teams with significant experience.Paul A. Gardner, Matthew J. Tormenti, Harshita Pant, Juan C. Fernandez-Miranda, Carl H. Snyderman, Michael B. Horowit

Single-incision laparoscopic transumbilical shunt placement: Technical note

Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement is the most common surgical treatment for hydrocephalus. Laparoscopic techniques to aid in the placement of the peritoneal portion have been reported previously. Laparoscopic shunt placement has been associated with decreased operating time, less blood loss, and shorter hospital stays. The authors describe a single-incision laparoscopic shunt (SILS) insertion technique that facilitates directed placement of the peritoneal portion of the catheter in children. A total of 6 pediatric patients underwent the SILS procedure between December 2008 and March 2009. This cohort included 5 girls and 1 boy; the average age was 6 years (range 1 day-16 years). One patient had previously undergone a VP shunt placement, but all other patients were undergoing the initial creation of their shunt. The most common pathological condition encountered was posttraumatic hydrocephalus (2 patients). All patients underwent successful placement of the peritoneal catheters. All catheters were seen to have CSF flowing freely within the peritoneal space. The authors\u27 recent experience shows that SILS placement is safe and feasible in children. It allows accurate, directed placement of the VP shunt with a single, almost invisible, umbilical incision. The shunt tubing is remote from this incision

Correction of sagittal plane deformity and predictive factors for a favourable radiological outcome following multilevel posterior lumbar interbody fusion for mild degenerative scoliosis

Purpose Limited data is available in the literature on the radiographic results of multilevel posterior lumbar interbody fusion (MPLIF) in the treatment of degenerative scoliosis. The objective of our study was to evaluate the segmental and global correction achieved with MPLIF in the treatment of degenerative scoliosis. Methods Between 2009 and 2014, 42 patients underwent correction of degenerative scoliosis with MPLIF. Several radiological parameters were measured pre- and post-operatively by two independent observers. A statistical analysis was performed to assess the inter-observer reliability of the measurements and to determine the degree of segmental correction achieved at each intervertebral disc. Using sagittal vertical axis (SVA) less than 47 mm; lumbar lordosis (LL) within 11° of pelvic incidence (PI); and pelvic tilt (PT) no more than 22° as radiological criteria for procedural acceptability, we determined predictive factors for a favourable radiological outcome. Results Forty-two patients (34 female) were included in our study. The average amount of correction per segment was 6.2°. The overall correction achieved with MPLIF was 16.6°. Twenty-six of the 42 patients (61.9 %) had post-operative SVA values less than 47 mm. Nineteen of the 42 patients (45.2 %) had average post-operative LL within 11° of the PI. Sixteen of the 42 patients (38.1 %) had PT less than 22°. Younger age, female gender and a low pre-operative PT were significantly associated with the attainment of a satisfactory sagittal alignment. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that a satisfactory correction can be achieved in degenerative scoliosis with MPLIF. In addition, our results show that it is significantly more likely to achieve a satisfactory radiological outcome in younger, female patients with low pre-operative PT