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Biomedical subjects

M H Lavyne

Publications and source records attributed to M H Lavyne.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Postoperative narcotic requirement after microscopic lumbar discectomy is not affected by intraoperative ketorolac or bupivacaine.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, double-blind study. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of ketorolac and bupivacaine in reducing postoperative pain after microsurgical lumbar discectomy. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Microsurgical lumbar discectomy often is performed as an ambulatory procedure. Pain, nausea, and urinary retention may delay discharge. It was hypothesized that intraoperative ketorolac or bupivacaine would reduce postoperative pain as measured by morphine demand. METHODS: After Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and informed consent, 30 patients undergoing single-level microsurgical lumbar discectomy under general anesthesia randomly received either intravenous ketorolac, intramuscular bupivacaine, or placebo before wound closure. After surgery, all patients received intravenous, MSO4, patient-controlled analgesia. MSO4 demand was compared between groups at 30 minutes and at 1, 4, 8, 16, 20, and 24 hours after surgery by one-way ANOVA. Pre- and postoperative pain was assessed by using a standard scale and was correlated to postoperative MSO4 demand by Pearson correlation. Significance was assumed at P < 0.05. RESULTS: There were no group differences in age, gender, weight, disc level, preoperative pain, or preoperative use of pain medication. Neither ketorolac nor bupivacaine decreased pain or nausea scores, MSO4 demand, or time to void and ambulation. Preoperative pain was significantly correlated to postoperative narcotic demand (r = 0.46, P < 0.01). Preoperative narcotic or NSAID use was not correlated to either preoperative pain scores or postoperative MSO4 requirement. CONCLUSIONS: Neither ketorolac nor bupivacaine decreased the postoperative narcotic requirement in patients undergoing microsurgical lumbar discectomy. Postoperative narcotic requirements are increased in patients who are in severe pain before surgery, regardless of preoperative narcotic use.

Adult↗

Posterior petrous face meningiomas.

OBJECTIVE: To define the clinical presentation, treatment options, and outcomes for a subset of meningiomas of the posterior fossa skull base that arise from the posterior petrous face between the region of the porus acousticus and the sigmoid sinus. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective chart review from a large skull base surgery practice at a tertiary care institution. RESULTS: This cohort of patients presented with minimal symptoms, yet large tumors, averaging 3.8 cms and causing significant cerebellar compression. Retrosigmoid craniotomies afforded excellent exposure. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: Patients with large tumors emanating from the posterior fossa aspect of the temporal bone should be evaluated on the basis of their site of origin. Patients with tumors emanating from the anterior or ventral portion of the temporal bone have greater symptoms and greater operative complications than those emanating from the posterior petrous face, between the porus acousticus and sigmoid sinus.

Adult↗

Internal auditory canal involvement of acoustic neuromas: surgical correlates to magnetic resonance imaging findings.

OBJECTIVE: Factors that play a role in the selection of surgical approach for acoustic neuromas include patient health and age, size of tumor, hearing status, and location of tumor in the internal auditory canal (IAC) and the cerebellopontine angle. Deep extension into the IAC makes hearing preservation extremely difficult when a retrosigmoid craniotomy is used, and the best approach is a middle fossa subtemporal route. Modern gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be inaccurate in identifying the presence of tumor laterally in the IAC. This may affect the selection of a surgical approach. STUDY DESIGN: This study was a retrospective case review. SETTING: Patients were accrued from a tertiary referral otologic practice. PATIENTS: From 1997 through 2000, the authors identified six patients who had undergone acoustic neuroma surgery, had adequate imaging and intraoperative data, and demonstrated a lack of correlation between MRI and intraoperative findings of the lateral IAC. INTERVENTION: The interventions were preoperative MRI of the IAC and surgical resection of an acoustic neuroma. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Comparison of MRI and intraoperative findings of the lateral IAC were the main outcome measures. RESULTS: Six patients demonstrated a lack of correlation between MRI and intraoperative findings of the lateral IAC. CONCLUSIONS: Gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MRI findings of the depth of penetration into the lateral aspect of the IAC do not always correlate with intraoperative findings and thus may have implications in the selection of surgical approaches to acoustic neuromas.

Cerebellopontine Angle↗

Removal of a lumbar melanotic schwannoma via the far-lateral approach in a patient with Carney complex. Case report.

The authors describe a patient with Carney's complex who presented with sciatica due to a lumbar nerve root sheath tumor. A far-lateral approach was used to resect a nonpsammomatous melanotic schwannoma. Neurosurgeons surgically treating peripheral nerve sheath tumors should be aware of the features of Carney complex because the extent of the preoperative evaluation and postoperative management of an otherwise routine surgical condition can be significantly affected.

Adult↗

Symptomatic spinal epidural lipomatosis after local epidural corticosteroid injections: case report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Spinal epidural lipomatosis, which causes symptomatic compression of neural elements, is a well known but uncommon complication of Cushing's syndrome. Spinal epidural lipomatosis has been reported frequently in association with chronic systemic corticosteroid therapy, but thus far only one case has been attributed to local epidural corticosteroid injections. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: We report another case of symptomatic spinal epidural lipomatosis after epidural corticosteroid injections. This is the first such case documented by magnetic resonance imaging and confirmed with surgical exploration. INTERVENTION: The patient's symptoms of neurogenic claudication resolved after lumbar laminectomy in the region of previous corticosteroid injections and the removal of epidural fat, which was compressing the thecal sac. CONCLUSION: This case should alert clinicians that epidural lipomatosis, which causes symptomatic thecal sac compression, is a possible complication, not only of systemic glucocorticoid therapy, but also of local epidural corticosteroid injections.

Aged↗

Trigeminal neuralgia: neurosurgical management options.

The lancinating facial pain of trigeminal neuralgia usually responds to medical treatment. However, in some patients, trigeminal neuralgia is refractory to drug therapy. In addition, some patients are unable to tolerate the side effects of medication. In these cases, several safe and effective surgical procedures are available for the treatment of this common facial pain syndrome.

Decompression, Surgical↗

Thoracic complications of ventriculoperitoneal shunts: case report and review of the literature.

Thoracic complications of ventriculoperitoneal shunts are rare, but potentially serious. The authors report a case of a drainage of cerebrospinal fluid into the tracheobronchial tree through a peritoneal shunt catheter that migrated into the chest. After injection of contrast material into the shunt, a plain radiograph of the chest revealed a bronchogram. The symptoms resolved after a revision of the shunt. Published case reports of this and other thoracic complications of ventriculoperitoneal shunts are comprehensively reviewed. A classification of such complications into three types is proposed as follows: intrathoracic trauma during placement of a shunt, migration of the peritoneal catheter into the chest (by either a supradiaphragmatic or a transdiaphragmatic route), and pleural effusion accompanying cerebrospinal fluid ascites. The possible mechanisms and contributing factors are discussed.

Adult↗

Symptomatic lumbar epidural varices. Report of two cases.

Lumbar epidural varices have been infrequently described in the literature and rarely accepted as a primary pathophysiological entity. The authors' total experience with symptomatic lumbar epidural varices over the last 15 years includes four cases (incidence 0.067% of all lumbar spine operations), two of which are described in detail in this paper. The mechanism for their formation is proposed: central disc herniations obstruct the anterior epidural venous flow leading to anterolateral caudal venous distention. Subsequent venous endothelial injury predisposes to varying degrees of phlebothrombosis. Decompression of partially thrombosed varices may occur during operative discectomy or spontaneously during regression of the nonoperated disc prolapse. Regression of the central disc herniation may also explain the "disappearing disc" phenomenon, in which patients with clinical and radiographic evidence of apparently large caudal disc herniations exhibit clinical and radiographic resolution. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging characteristics of the epidural varix depend upon the degree of thrombosis within this anomaly. A thrombosed varix is hyperintense on T1-weighted, proton-density, and T2-weighted images, whereas flowing blood is hypointense. The variable hypo- and hyperintensity on the T2-weighted MR imaging sequences correlate with a partially patent lumen within the varix.

Adult↗

The effect of lumbar disc surgery on postoperative pulmonary function and temperature. A comparison study of microsurgical lumbar discectomy with standard lumbar discectomy.

Preoperative and postoperative pulmonary function and body temperature were measured prospectively in 15 patients undergoing either microlumbar discectomy or standard lumbar laminectomy and discectomy for herniated nucleus pulposus. In these otherwise comparable groups patients undergoing standard lumbar laminectomy and discectomy had significant depression in pulmonary function in the first 20 hours postsurgery and febrile temperatures for as long as 48 hours postsurgery. No alteration in pulmonary function or body temperature was observed in those operated on by the microlumbar discectomy technique. We conclude that patients undergoing microlumbar discectomy for lumbar disc herniation have less postsurgical pulmonary morbidity and temperature elevation than those treated by lumbar laminectomy and discectomy.

Adult↗

Epidural steroids, postoperative morbidity, and recovery in patients undergoing microsurgical lumbar discectomy.

Intraoperative epidural corticosteroids have been used by some surgeons to decrease pain following surgery for a herniated lumbar disc. In this study, 84 consecutively treated, comparable patients with unilateral lumbar disc herniation were prospectively assigned randomly to receive either epidural corticosteroids (40 mg methylprednisolone acetate) or saline at the conclusion of the operative procedure. The postoperative morbidity of these two groups was evaluated by tabulating the following parameters: pain relief as measured by consumption of postoperative pain medications; the length of hospital stay; postoperative functional status; and the time interval from surgery until return to work. The mean postoperative analgesic medications consumed was 12.2 +/- 1.9 mg of morphine equivalents in the corticosteroid group versus 12.2 +/- 1.8 mg of morphine equivalents in the control group. The mean hospital stay was less than 2 days in each group, and the mean interval until return to work was 21.2 +/- 2.7 days in the corticosteroid group versus 25.4 +/- 3.1 days in the control group. Moreover, no statistically significant difference was measured between the steroid-treated and control groups when the data were stratified for sex, age, and site of disc herniation. The mean outcome scores, which are derived from a postoperative assessment of pain relief resulting from surgery, functional status, and interval until return to work, were identical in the corticosteroid and control groups. This study concludes that epidural corticosteroid administration after microsurgical lumbar discectomy for unilateral disc herniation does not lessen postoperative morbidity or improve functional recovery.

Adolescent↗

Is magnetic resonance imaging useful in guiding the operative approach to large pituitary tumors?

Forty-two patients with large pituitary tumors were studied with magnetic resonance imaging scans. Based on the operative findings, the tumors were divided into two groups. Tumors in Group 1 (n = 35) were soft or partially necrotic and were easily removed by suction and curettage. Tumors in Group 2 (n = 7) were firm and required sharp dissection or use of the laser for removal. Tumors were divided into two groups based on the long TR signal: a) isointense in comparison with white matter, or b) hyperintense in comparison with white matter. All 7 firm tumors (Group 2) had an isointense signal on long TR sequences. Thirty-two of 35 soft tumors showed a hyperintense signal on long TR sequences, and 3 an isointense signal. Based on these results, we recommend a transsphenoidal approach for the initial operation in patients with large pituitary tumors. If the tumor is largely isointense on the magnetic resonance imaging scan, we discuss with the patient preoperatively the possibility (70% in this series) that the tumor may be too firm to remove in a single transsphenoidal procedure. In these circumstances, a second, transcranial, procedure may be required to decompress the suprasellar structures adequately.

Adenoma↗

Retrospective analysis of microsurgical and standard lumbar discectomy.

This report retrospectively evaluates 112 cases of microsurgical lumbar discectomy (MICRO) and 35 cases of standard discectomy (STND) performed by one neurosurgeon using data derived from a questionnaire and from chart review. The total amount of postoperative pain medication consumed and postoperative temperature curves in each group were compared to determine how postsurgical morbidity was affected by the MICRO and STND procedures. At a mean follow-up interval of 12.3 and 41 months, 97% of the MICRO respondents reported a good or excellent outcome. Patients with preoperative symptoms exceeding 6 months returned to work in 9.9 +/- 1.7 weeks; this interval decreased to 5.58 +/- 0.75 weeks, and overall outcome score improved significantly at 41 months' follow-up if symptoms were less than or equal to 6 months in duration before surgery. At 44 months' mean follow-up, 88% of the STND respondents reported a good or excellent outcome with no decrease in the return-to-work interval in patients who described symptoms of 6 months or less. Mean postoperative pain medication consumed by MICRO patients was one tenth that of STND patients, and temperature curves showed significant temperature elevations in the STND group when compared with the MICRO group, in which patients remained afebrile throughout the postoperative period. Within the limitations of a retrospective study, these data support the conclusion that a microsurgical approach to the lumbar herniated disc provides a more frequent and rapid convalescence than the STND approach.

Adult↗