Publications by authors named "Troy B Amen"
Article Synopsis
- The study was a retrospective cohort review comparing single level (SLD) and dual level (DLD) minimally invasive decompression surgeries for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) in patients with adjacent level disease.
- Findings indicated that patients undergoing single level decompression experienced similar clinical outcomes to those with dual level decompression over a 2-year period, despite longer operative times for DLD procedures.
- The conclusion suggests that for patients with single level symptoms and adjacent stenosis, treating only the symptomatic level is equally effective, potentially reducing unnecessary risks and surgery time associated with dual level procedures.
Barriers to Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Comparison of High-Poverty and Low-Poverty Communities.
Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken)
January 2025
Objective: Our aim was to determine the most significant barriers to total joint arthroplasty (TJA) for people living in high-poverty communities relative to low-poverty communities.
Methods: We created a 21-question survey based on interviews with underrepresented minority patients with osteoarthritis targeting five barriers to TJA: trust in surgeon, recovery concerns, cost and/or insurance issues, fear of poor surgical outcomes, and timing considerations. Participants rated the importance of each barrier on a 5-point Likert scale, dichotomized into "very or extremely important" and "not as important.
Background: Given the significant morbidity and mortality associated with primary bone cancer, provision of high-quality end-of-life care concordant with patient preferences is critical. This study aimed to evaluate trends in use of dedicated end-of-life care settings and investigate sociodemographic disparities in location of death among individuals with primary bone cancer.
Materials And Methods: A retrospective, population-based review of patients who died of primary bone cancer-related causes was performed using the Underlying Cause of Death public use record from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) database for the years 2003 through 2019.
Article Synopsis
- A study was conducted to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) performed with patients in a prone position, comparing it to the traditional lateral position.
- The study included 20 patients who underwent LLIF while prone, with findings showing no intraoperative complications, but some patients experienced transient weakness and other postoperative issues.
- Overall, patient-reported outcomes improved significantly after the procedure, and while there were some complications in the prone group, they were not statistically different from those in the lateral group.
Background: Hip fractures are common injuries that result in substantial loss of quality of life to elderly patients. To date, no meta-analyses have been performed to consolidate findings related to racial and ethnic disparities in hip fracture care.
Purpose: We sought to examine associations between racial or ethnic identity and several metrics of hip fracture care.
In the USA, Black men are approximately twice as likely to be diagnosed with and to die of prostate cancer than white men. In the UK, despite Black men having vastly different ancestral contexts and health-care systems from Black men in the USA, the lifetime risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer is two-to-three times higher among Black British men than among white British men and Black British men are twice as likely to die of prostate cancer as white British men. Examination of racial disparities in prostate cancer in the USA and UK highlights systemic, socio-economic and sociocultural factors that might contribute to these differences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Prior studies investigating the use of minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF) for treatment of degenerative lumbar conditions and concomitant sagittal deformity have not stratified patients by preoperative pelvic incidence (PI)-lumbar lordosis (LL) mismatch, which is the earliest parameter to deteriorate in mild sagittal deformity. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the impact of preoperative PI-LL mismatch on clinical outcomes and sagittal balance restoration among patients undergoing MI-TLIF for degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS).
Methods: Consecutive adult patients undergoing primary 1-level MI-TLIF between April 2017 and April 2022 for DS with ≥ 6 months radiographic follow-up were included.
Background/objective: Rheumatologic diseases encompass a group of disabling conditions that often require expensive clinical treatments and limit an individual's ability to work and maintain a steady income. The purpose of this study was to evaluate contemporary patterns of financial toxicity among patients with rheumatologic disease and assess for any associated demographic factors.
Methods: The cross-sectional National Health Interview Survey was queried from 2013 to 2018 for patients with rheumatologic disease.
Article Synopsis
- The study reviews data from a national database to determine factors that impact whether patients are discharged to their homes after cervical disc replacement (CDR) surgery.
- The analysis involved 7,276 patients from 2011 to 2020 and identified several predictors for nonhome discharge, including older age, Hispanic ethnicity, higher BMI, and longer hospital stays.
- Outpatient surgery settings were found to lower the likelihood of nonhome discharge, providing insights for preoperative planning and improving patient discharge efficiency.
Quality of ChatGPT Responses to Frequently Asked Questions in Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery.
Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open
May 2024
Background: Although demonstrating remarkable promise in other fields, the impact of artificial intelligence (including ChatGPT in hand surgery and medical practice) remains largely undetermined. In this study, we asked ChatGPT frequently asked patient-focused questions surgeons may receive in clinic from patients who have carpel tunnel syndrome (CTS) and evaluated the quality of its output.
Methods: Using ChatGPT, we asked 10 frequently asked questions that hand surgeons may receive in the clinic before carpel tunnel release (CTR) surgery.
Introduction: Surgical counseling enables shared decision making and optimal outcomes by improving patients' understanding about their pathologies, surgical options, and expected outcomes. Here, we aimed to provide practical answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) from patients undergoing an anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF) or cervical disk replacement (CDR) for the treatment of degenerative conditions.
Methods: Patients who underwent primary one-level or two-level ACDF or CDR for the treatment of degenerative conditions with a minimum of 1-year follow-up were included.
Study Design: Review of Chat Generative Pretraining Transformer (ChatGPT) outputs to select patient-focused questions.
Objective: We aimed to examine the quality of ChatGPT responses to cervical spine questions.
Background: Artificial intelligence and its utilization to improve patient experience across medicine is seeing remarkable growth.
Background: Clinical guidelines for performing total joint arthroplasty (TJA) have not been uniformly adopted in practice because research has suggested that they may foster inequities in surgical access, potentially disadvantaging minority sociodemographic groups. The aim of this study was to assess whether undergoing TJA without meeting clinical guidelines affects complication risk and leads to disparities in postoperative outcomes.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study evaluated the records of 11,611 adult patients who underwent primary TJA from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2020, at an academic hospital network.
Article Synopsis
- The study is a retrospective cohort analysis aimed at comparing outcomes of cervical disk replacement (CDR) between patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and those without it.
- It found that patients with MetS had higher rates of 30-day readmission, complications, and longer hospital stays compared to those without, though many differences became insignificant after matching for demographics and comorbidities.
- Ultimately, the study concluded that MetS independently predicts 30-day morbidity, specifically in the form of superficial wound infections.
Article Synopsis
- Racial disparities in spine surgery, particularly between Black and White patients, have been noted, but the impact of these disparities in outpatient settings has not been widely studied.
- The purpose of this research was to analyze differences in postoperative outcomes, such as adverse events and readmissions, following both outpatient and inpatient spinal surgeries for Black and White patients over a span of four years.
- The study found that a majority of surgeries (about 60.4% inpatient and 39.6% outpatient) involved White patients, with Black patients facing higher rates of complications after inpatient procedures, highlighting ongoing racial inequities in spine surgery outcomes.*
Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Objective: (1) To develop a reliable grading system to assess the severity of posterior intervertebral osteophytes and (2) to investigate the impact of posterior intervertebral osteophytes on clinical outcomes after L5-S1 decompression and fusion through anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) and minimally-invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF).
Background: There is limited evidence regarding the clinical implications of posterior lumbar vertebral body osteophytes for ALIF and MIS-TLIF surgeries and there are no established grading systems that define the severity of these posterior lumbar intervertebral osteophytes.
Background: In the United States, efforts to improve efficiency and reduce healthcare costs are shifting more total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) surgeries to the outpatient setting. However, whether racial and ethnic disparities in access to high-quality outpatient TSA care exist remains to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to assess racial/ethnic differences in relative outpatient TSA utilization and perioperative outcomes using a large national surgical database.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Several studies have described disparities between male and female patients following spine surgery, but no pooled analyses have performed a robust review characterizing differences in postoperative outcomes based on gender. The purpose of this study was to broadly assess the effects of gender on postoperative outcomes following elective spine surgery.
Methods: Between November 2022 and March 2023, PubMed, MEDLINE, ERIC, and Embase were queried using artificial intelligence-assisted software for relevant cohort studies.
Study Design: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Objective: The objective of this study is to synthesize the early data regarding and analyze the safety profile of outpatient lumbar fusion.
Summary Of Background Data: Performing lumbar fusion in an outpatient or ambulatory setting is becoming an increasingly employed strategy to provide effective value-based care.
Background: Press Ganey (PG) inpatient survey is widely used to track patient satisfaction with the hospital experience. Our aim was to use the PG survey to determine if there are racial differences in overall hospital experience and perception of nurses and surgeons following hip and knee arthroplasty.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed Black and White patients from hip and knee arthroplasty registries from a single institution between July 2010 and February 2012.
Study Design: Retrospective review of a prospectively maintained multisurgeon registry.
Objective: To study recovery kinetics and associated factors after cervical spine surgery.
Summary Of Background Data: Few studies have described return to activities cervical spine surgery.
Background Context: Although outpatient spine surgery is becoming increasingly popular in the United States, unplanned readmission following outpatient surgery remains a significant postoperative concern.
Purpose: This study aimed to (1) describe the incidence and timing of 30-day unplanned readmission after ambulatory lumbar and cervical spine surgery (2) evaluate the common reasons for readmission, and (3) identify factors associated with readmission in this population.
Study Design/setting: Retrospective cohort study.
Background: Racial and ethnic disparities in the field of orthopaedic surgery have been reported extensively across many subspecialties. However, these data remain relatively sparse in orthopaedic sports medicine, especially with respect to commonly performed procedures including knee and hip arthroscopy.
Purpose: To assess (1) differences in utilization of knee and hip arthroscopy between White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian or Pacific Islander patients in the United States (US) and (2) how these differences vary by geographical region.
Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess trends in disparities in utilization of hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) and ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) for outpatient ACDF (OP-ACDF) between White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander patients from 2015 to 2018 in New York State.
Summary Of Background Data: Racial and ethnic disparities within the field of spine surgery have been thoroughly documented.