Tumor-Related and Patient-Related Variables Affecting Length of Hospital Stay Following Vestibular Schwannoma Microsurgery.

Objective: Review a single institution's vestibular schwannoma (VS) microsurgery experience to determine (1) correlations between demographics, comorbidities, and/or surgical approach on hospital length of stay (LOS) and discharge disposition and (2) trends in surgical approach over time.

Methods: Retrospective case series from a multidisciplinary skull base program at a tertiary care, academic hospital. All adult (>18 years) patients undergoing primary microsurgery for VS between 2008 and 2018 were included.

Helping spine surgeons detect pre-surgical psychological distress in complex spine patients: an observational pilot study.

Study Design: Retrospective analysis.

Objective: Analysis of a standardized, pre-surgical psychological evaluation program for complex spine surgery. Adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients have a high rate of comorbid mental health conditions.

Investigating Risk Factors and Predicting Complications in Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery with Machine Learning Algorithms.

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery is an option for patients experiencing medically resistant neurologic symptoms. DBS complications are rare; finding significant predictors requires a large number of surgeries. Machine learning algorithms may be used to effectively predict these outcomes.

Implementation of an Opioid Reduction Protocol for Simple Outpatient Neurosurgical Procedures: A Single-Center Experience.

Study Design: Quality improvement with before and after evaluation of the intervention.

Objective: To evaluate postoperative opioid utilization at a high-volume tertiary referral center following implementation of an opioid reduction protocol for simple outpatient neurosurgical procedures.

Summary Of Background Data: The opioid epidemic has been well-publicized both in the scientific and lay press over the last few years.

Pre-operative smoking history increases risk of infection in deep brain stimulation surgery.

Although general risk of deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy has been previously described, application of risk prediction at the individual patient level is still largely at the discretion of a treating physician or a multidisciplinary team. To explore associations between potentially modifiable patient characteristics and common adverse events following DBS surgery, we retrospectively reviewed consecutive adult patients who had undergone new DBS electrode placement surgeries at two high-volume tertiary referral centers between October 1997 and May 2018. Among 501 patients included in the analysis (mean age (SD), 64.

Characterizing the Risk of Long-Term Opioid Utilization in Patients Undergoing Lumbar Spine Surgery.

Study Design: Single-institution retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To determine whether prescribing practices at discharge are associated with opioid dependence (OD) in patients undergoing discectomy or laminectomy procedures for degenerative indications.

Summary Of Background Data: Long-term opioid use in spine surgery is associated with higher healthcare utilization and worse postoperative outcomes.

Use of Opioids and Other Analgesics Before and After Primary Surgery for Adult Spinal Deformity: A 10-Year Nationwide Study.

Objective: To report the 1-year pre and postoperative analgesic use in patients undergoing primary surgery for adult spinal deformity (ASD) and assess risk factors for chronic postoperative opioid use.

Methods: Patients > 18 years undergoing primary instrumented surgery for ASD in Denmark between 2006 and 2016 were identified in the Danish National Patient Registry. Information on analgesic use were obtained from the Danish National Health Service Prescription Database.

Altered Neuroinflammation and Behavior after Traumatic Brain Injury in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has acute and chronic sequelae, including an increased risk for the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). TBI-associated neuroinflammation is characterized by activation of brain-resident microglia and infiltration of monocytes; however, recent studies have implicated beta-amyloid as a major manipulator of the inflammatory response. To examine neuroinflammation after TBI and development of AD-like features, these studies examined the effects of TBI in the presence and absence of beta-amyloid.