Publications by authors named "L Hellbusch"
Article Synopsis
- The opioid epidemic in the U.S. is a pressing issue, particularly for patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery who also have psychiatric conditions.
- A study analyzed 376 veteran patients to identify how psychiatric diagnoses affect opiate use before and after surgery, focusing on major depression, PTSD, and other comorbidities.
- Findings showed that major depression and PTSD were significantly linked to higher preoperative and postoperative opioid use, suggesting that understanding a patient’s mental health could improve opioid prescribing practices.
Background: Protein levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are commonly thought to be related to sterile shunt malfunction.
Objective: To investigate the relationship between protein concentration and flow through CSF shunt tubing and a shunt valve.
Methods: New and explanted shunt catheters were tested with and without a shunt valve attached at various protein concentrations.
Although recent data suggests that lumbar fusion with decompression contributes to some marginal acceleration of adjacent segment degeneration (ASD), few studies have evaluated whether it is safe to perform a laminectomy above a fused segment. This study investigates the hypothesis that laminectomy above a fused lumbar segment does not increase the incidence of ASD, and assesses the benefits and risks of performing a laminectomy above a lumbar fusion. A retrospective review of 171 patients who underwent decompression and instrumented fusion of the lumbar spine was performed to analyze the association between ASD and laminectomy above the fused lumbar segment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Vertebral compression fractures are common, and can occur concomitantly in patients with symptomatic degenerative stenosis. Less commonly, complicated vertebral body fractures may involve retropulsion of bone into the spinal canal, resulting in stenosis with myelopathy and/or radiculopathy. Decompression of the neural elements can lead to destabilization and progressive kyphotic deformity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObject: Cerebrospinal fluid shunt systems malfunction for a multitude of reasons, including malpostitioning, obstruction of the ventricular or distal catheter, obstruction of the shunt valve, and catheter disruptions or disconnections. The goal of this study was to examine the hydrodynamic resistance and flow in new and explanted catheters and also in catheters with 1 or 2 straight connectors.
Methods: Explanted catheters of multiple lengths, 2-piece catheters, 3-piece catheters, and new catheters were attached to a proximal and distal manometer.