Exploiting light-based 3D-printing for the fabrication of mechanically enhanced, patient-specific aortic grafts.

Despite polyester vascular grafts being routinely used in life-saving aortic aneurysm surgeries, they are less compliant than the healthy, native human aorta. This mismatch in mechanical behaviour has been associated with disruption of haemodynamics contributing to several long-term cardiovascular complications. Moreover, current fabrication approaches mean that opportunities to personalise grafts to the individual anatomical features are limited.

Automated and Optimized Neurosurgery Scheduling System Improves Resident Satisfaction.

Background And Objectives: Neurosurgery residency involves a complex structure with multiple hospitals, services, and clinic days, leading to challenges in creating equitable call schedules. Manually prepared scheduling systems are prone to biases, error, and perceived unfairness. To address these issues, we developed an automated scheduling system (Automated Optimization of Neurosurgery Scheduling System [AONSS]) to reduce biases, accommodate resident requests, and optimize call variation, ultimately enhancing the educational experience by promoting diverse junior-senior-attending relationships.

Focused selection of open cerebrovascular cases for residents interested in cerebrovascular neurosurgery.

Introduction: National and international trends continue to show greater emphasis on endovascular techniques for the treatment of cerebrovascular disease. The cerebrovascular neurosurgeon however must be adequately equipped to treat these patients via both open and endovascular techniques.

Methods: The decline in open cerebrovascular cases for aneurysm clipping has forced many trainees to pursue open cerebrovascular fellowships to increase case volume.

A Systematic Review of the Risks of Motor Vehicle Crashes Associated with Psychiatric Disorders.

Objective: Psychiatric disorders and their treatments have the potential to adversely impact driving skills. However, it is unclear to what extent this poses a public health risk by increasing the risk of motor vehicle crashes (MVCs). The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize and critically appraise evidence on the risk of MVC for drivers with psychiatric disorders.

A Systematic Review of the Risk of Motor Vehicle Collision in Patients With Syncope.

Background: Drivers at risk of sudden incapacitation from syncope pose a potential threat to themselves and to society. The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesize the risk of motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) for patients with a history of syncope.

Methods: We systematically searched Medline (1946-2019) as well as Cinahl, Embase, Psychinfo, and the Transportation Research Information Documentation (1806-2017) for articles on MVCs and drivers with vasovagal syncope (VVS), arrhythmic syncope, or syncope not yet diagnosed (NYD).

Application of an objective structured clinical examination to evaluate and monitor intern's proficiency of hand hygiene and personal protective equipment use in the United States.

Purpose: To determine if an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) could be used to evaluate and monitor hand hygiene and personal protective equipment (PPE) proficiency for medical interns in the United States.

Methods: Interns in July 2015 (N=123, Cohort 1) without OSCE-based contact precaution evaluation and teaching were evaluated early 2016 by OSCE for hand hygiene and PPE proficiency. They performed poorly.

A systematic review of the risk of motor vehicle collision after stroke or transient ischemic attack.

Background: Returning to driving after stroke is one of the key goals in stroke rehabilitation, and fitness to drive guidelines must be informed by evidence pertaining to risk of motor vehicle collision (MVC) in this population.

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether stroke and/or transient ischemic attack (TIA) are associated with an increased MVC risk.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and TRID through December 2016.

A Comparison of the Existing Wellness Programs in Neurosurgery and Institution Champion's Perspectives.

Once the accepted norm during Harvey Cushing's time, the mantra of work to the exclusion of family and lifestyle is now recognized as deleterious to overall well-being. A number of neurosurgical residency training programs have implemented wellness programs to enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of trainees and faculty. This manuscript highlights existing organized wellness education within neurosurgery residency programs in order to describe the motivations behind development, structure, and potential implementation strategies, cost of implementation, and identify successes and barriers in the integration process.

An International Approach to Enhancing a National Guideline on Driving and Dementia.

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this study was to update a national guideline on assessing drivers with dementia, addressing limitations of previous versions which included a lack of developmental rigor and stakeholder involvement.

Methods: An international multidisciplinary team reviewed 104 different recommendations from 12 previous guidelines on assessing drivers with dementia in light of a recent review of the literature. Revised guideline recommendations were drafted by consensus.

Update on the Risk of Motor Vehicle Collision or Driving Impairment with Dementia: A Collaborative International Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Guidelines that physicians use to assess fitness to drive for dementia are limited in their currency, applicability, and rigor of development. Therefore, we performed a systematic review to determine the risk of motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) or driving impairment caused by dementia, in order to update international guidelines on driving with dementia. Seven literature databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, etc.

Development of a decision-making tool for reporting drivers with mild dementia and mild cognitive impairment to transportation administrators.

Background: Driving in persons with dementia poses risks that must be counterbalanced with the importance of the care for autonomy and mobility. Physicians often find substantial challenges in the assessment and reporting of driving safety for persons with dementia. This paper describes a driving in dementia decision tool (DD-DT) developed to aid physicians in deciding when to report older drivers with either mild dementia or mild cognitive impairment to local transportation administrators.

Publication misrepresentation among neurosurgery residency applicants: an increasing problem.

OBJECT Misrepresentation of scholarly achievements is a recognized phenomenon, well documented in numerous fields, yet the accuracy of reporting remains dependent on the honor principle. Therefore, honest self-reporting is of paramount importance to maintain scientific integrity in neurosurgery. The authors had observed a trend toward increasing numbers of publications among applicants for neurosurgery residency at Vanderbilt University and undertook this study to determine whether this change was a result of increased academic productivity, inflated reporting, or both.

Crash rates of quebec drivers with medical conditions.

Using a databank that combines comprehensive medical data with the driving records of 96% of the drivers in Quebec, odds ratios were calculated for crash risk involving death or serious injury according to the diagnosis of medical conditions traditionally associated with increased crash risk. Results were controlled for age, sex, residence (rural/urban), possession of a professional licence (classes 1 - 4), previous involvement in a crash with injury or death and for the presence of other medical conditions. In addition, crash risk was calculated for drivers with multiple conditions.

Follow-up on a national survey: american neurosurgery resident opinions on the 2011 accreditation council for graduate medical education-implemented duty hours.

Objective: We previously performed a nationwide survey of American neurosurgical residents before the initiation of the 2011 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education regulations, in which more than 70% indicated the proposed changes would negatively impact residency training. We sought to resurvey the resident population as to the actual changes that occurred to their programs after the 2011 standards went into effect.

Methods: Surveys were mailed to every neurosurgery training program in the United States and Puerto Rico.

Educating doctors on evaluation of fitness to drive: impact of a case-based workshop.

Introduction: In 2004, faced with demographic data predicting large increases in the number of older drivers within a relatively short period combined with the realization that screening for driver fitness was largely dependent on health professionals, principally physicians, the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) initiated measures to achieve better cooperation with the health professionals performing the screening. A continuing medical education (CME) program was initiated to improve the health professionals' understanding of road safety considerations. This article describes the program and its impact.

Evaluation of a transition to practice program for neurosurgery residents: creating a safe transition from resident to independent practitioner.

Background: In 2004, the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Florida implemented a major curriculum innovation called the Transition to Practice program. This program was established to prepare residents to more safely transition to the role of independent practitioner.

Methods: A qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the program was conducted after its fifth year using online surveys and interviews.

Visual field defects may not affect safe driving.

Objective: In Quebec a driver whose acquired visual field defect renders them ineligible for a driver's permit renewal may request an exemption from the visual field standard by demonstrating safe driving despite the defect. For safety reasons it was decided to attempt to identify predictors of failure on the road test in order to avoid placing driving evaluators in potentially dangerous situations when evaluating drivers with visual field defects.

Methods: During a 4-month period in 2009 all requests for exemptions from the visual field standard were collected and analyzed.

Commentary: evaluation of driver fitness--the role of continuing medical education.

Faced with demographic trends that predicted large increases of older drivers within a relatively short period combined with the realization that screening for driver fitness was largely dependent upon health professionals, principally physicians, in 2004 the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) initiated measures that sought to achieve better cooperation with the health professionals performing the screening. A program was initiated that sought to improve the health professionals' understanding of road safety considerations. This article examines the measures included in this program and their results.