Background Telemedicine remains an important tool of healthcare services delivery especially in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its advantages include saving the time and money of the patients and the prevention of infection among healthcare providers. Objectives In this study, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of telemedicine visits in providing postoperative care of neurosurgical patients. Materials and methods We conducted this prospective study on 30 neurosurgical patients who were evaluated after surgery via telemedicine visits for 30 days. During the virtual visits, we discussed the clinical progress of patients, wound status, treatment modification, the time of return to work, postoperative complications, and the radiological data of the patients. All the patients were given an emergency number to call in case of urgent issues. The satisfaction of patients and doctors was measured with the aid of two questionnaires. Results The patients’ age ranged from 18 to 65 years. Twenty patients were male and 10 patients were female. We performed 20 cranial operations and 10 spinal operations. Most patients needed more than 4 h to reach the hospital. The total number of telemedicine visits was 67 visits. We received about 62 emergency calls. Pain management, seizures control, wound infection, and hydrocephalus is among issues that were evaluated and managed via telemedicine visits. The overall satisfaction rate among patients and doctors was 90% and 95%, respectively. Conclusion Virtual outpatient clinics seem to be a safe and effective way of postoperative care especially in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has disrupted the routine neurosurgical education and practice worldwide and so more in developing countries. Continuing the neurosurgical training while maintaining the well-being of our residents should be the primary concern of leaders of training programs. Objectives The aim of this cross-sectional study was the evaluation of the impact of COVID-19 on neurosurgical residency programs and neurosurgical practice in five tertiary medical centers in our country. We also aimed at detecting the shortcomings in training programs and provide solutions. Methods An online questionnaire-based survey was prepared and sent to 73 neurosurgery residents in 5 tertiary centers in 4 governorates by social networks. The questions focused on the evaluation of clinical and surgical activities before and after the pandemic. Safety precautions, education, and residents’ mental health were also evaluated. Results Fifty residents responded to our survey. We identified a significant reduction in surgical cases, inpatient services, and working hours per week during the pandemic comparing to the pre-pandemic era. We also identified a significant increase in research hours and changes in educational methods from in-person methods to virtual ones. Seventy-four percent reported that personal protective equipment was not adequate for their duties. Sixty-eight percent experienced burnout symptoms. Unavailability of personal protective equipment, negative concerns regarding the surgical career, and financial strains significantly affected the mental health of residents. Conclusions The survey highlighted the negative impact of COVID-19 on neurosurgical practice and education. Being in a developing country, this negative effect was amplified due to financial reasons and weak infrastructure. Inadequate personal protective equipment increased the risk of infection and work-related stress among neurosurgery residents. We lacked telemedicine services in our country. Online education gained more visibility and awareness.
Background: Treatment of brain abscess is still a subject of controversy. The main treatment is surgical, although medical therapy alone can be used for selected cases. The treatment of choice is aspiration, which may be performed with the aid of an endoscope or by freehand technique, with or without stereotactic or intraoperative ultrasound guidance. Excision is valuable in some cases. We are reporting our results of endoscopic approach in 12 patients. Methods: This study included 12 patients of brain abscesses treated between January 2015 and January 2018. All the cases except those with small abscesses (<3.0 cm in diameter) were included in the study. Rigid endoscope was used. Follow-up CT scan was done in all cases within 7 and 30 days after surgery. Follow-up periods ranged between 3 and 6 months. Results: There were 11 patients with a history of chronic otitis media and one patient who suffered from congenital cyanotic heart disease. Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) was 5 in one patient, 13 in two cases, and 14–15 in 9 cases. There were one cerebellar, six temporal, and five frontal abscesses. All the patients recovered completely except one who died (GCS 5). There was no procedure-related complication. Hospital stay ranged from 14 to 45 days with an average of 28 days. The endoscopy aided visualization of multiloculations and septation in eight patients which allowed the opening of the septations and complete evacuation. Conclusion: Endoscopic aspiration is safe, easy, and represents an effective way of treatment of brain abscess through proper visualization. It can be used for ensuring the complete aspiration of contents, control of any bleeding point, and also for multiloculated abscess to identify and open the septations which may not be possible in stereotactic or any other guided aspirations.
Objectives Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunting is commonly used to treat pediatric hydrocephalus, but failure rates are high. VP shunt failure in children is mostly caused by infection and/or proximal/distal shunt obstruction. However, to our knowledge, no previous reviews have discussed this topic using only clinical studies when age-related data could be obtained. This systematic review aimed at reevaluating what is already known as the most common causes of shunt failure and to determine the incidence and causes of VP shunt failure during the first 2 years of life as a step to establish solid evidence-based guidelines to avoid VP shunt failure in infants. Methods We performed a search using the search terms “Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts” (Medical Subject Headings [MeSH]) AND failure [All Fields] AND (“humans” [MeSH] AND English [lang] AND “infant” [MeSH]). Only articles that specifically discussed VP shunt complications in children < 2 years were included. Results We found that the most common causes of VP shunt failure in children < 2 years were shunt obstruction and infection, both observed in a range. Conclusion VP shunt failure is very common in infants, mostly resulting from obstruction and infection. Future studies should focus on methods designed to avoid these complications or on alternative treatments for hydrocephalus.
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