Surgical interhospital transfer mortality: national analysis.

Background: Interhospital transfers of surgical patients are an independent risk factor for mortality. The Australian and New Zealand Audit of Surgical Mortality (ANZASM) aims to improve surgical care through assessment of all cases of surgical mortality. This study aimed to describe common clinical management issues that contributed to interhospital transfer patient mortality.

Endovascular thrombectomy for large vessel occlusion acute ischemic stroke after cardiac surgery.

Introduction: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) can be a catastrophic complication of cardiac surgery previously without effective treatment. Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is a potentially life-saving intervention. We examined patients at our institution who had EVT to treat AIS post cardiac surgery.

Efficacy and Safety of Novel Beta-Chitin Patches as Haemostat in Rat Vascular and Neurosurgical Model.

Background: Intraoperative hemorrhage is a major cause of poor post-operative outcome. Beta-chitin patch has previously been found to be an effective haemostat, but whether modifying the patch can improve its efficacy and safety, remains unknown. In this study, beta-chitin patches were modified using polyethylene oxide, Pluronic-F127 (Chi/F127), calcium (Chi/20%Ca), increased thickness (Chi/Thick) or polyphosphate (Chi/PP).

The potential of chitosan-based haemostats for use in neurosurgical setting - Literature review.

Haemorrhage is a major nuance in neurosurgery since blood can distort the surgeon's field of view and increase the risk of post-operative complications. Currently a variety of commercially available haemostats have been approved for use in neurosurgery, but they have caveats to their use in the brain, including, localised tissue compression, neural toxicity, induce immune reaction or form thrombus within the vessel. Thus, there is a need for haemostats that are efficacious and safe for application on brain and spinal tissue.

Emergency Neurosurgery Performed by General Surgeons: A Systematic Review.

Background: In under-resourced settings, general surgeons may be called upon to perform emergency operations within other specialties. Accordingly, we aimed to characterise patient outcomes after emergency neurosurgery performed by a general surgeon or general surgery trainee.

Methods: PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched to 30 May 2021 for observational studies reporting outcomes after emergency neurosurgery performed by a general surgeon.

The effect of chemical and structural modifiers on the haemostatic process and cytotoxicity of the beta-chitin patch.

Beta-chitin patch has previously been proven to be an effective haemostat, but whether modifying the patch affects its efficacy and safety, remains unanswered. In this study, the patch was modified using polyethylene oxide, Pluronic-F127, calcium, increased thickness or polyphosphate, and their effect on the process of haemostasis and cytotoxicity was tested and compared with standard-of-care, Surgicel and FloSeal. Whole blood collected from volunteers was applied to the patches to test their whole blood clotting and thrombin generation capacities, whilst platelet isolates were used to test their platelet aggregation ability.

Postoperative headache following treatment of vestibular schwannoma: A literature review.

Vestibular schwannoma (VS) is a brain tumour arising from Schwann cells that is typically closely associated with the vestibulocochlear nerve. Post-operative headaches (POH) are a potentially common complication of surgery for VS. Greatly differing rates of POH have previously been reported, particularly with different surgical approaches.