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Biomedical subjects

R L DeWald

Publications and source records attributed to R L DeWald.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Simultaneous anterior and posterior surgical approach to the thoracic and lumbar spine.

A technique for the simultaneous anterior and posterior surgical approach to the thoracic and lumbar spine is presented. No intraoperative repositioning of the patient is required. The procedure requires a surgical team of two spinal surgeons and two assistant surgeons, as well as an anesthesiologist familiar with hypotensive techniques. The procedure as utilized in 14 cases has proven to be safe and expeditious. The simultaneous anteroposterior approach has proven to be especially useful in cases with combined anterior and posterior instability. The technique described provides the experienced spinal surgeon with the best solution to certain complex spinal problems.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Anterior and posterior spinal fusion for paralytic scoliosis.

Twenty-three patients with paralytic scoliosis were treated with a combination of anterior and posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion. The sequence was anterior surgery first in 19 patients and posterior surgery first in 4. The average age was 14.4 years. Preoperative correction with a halo-hoop apparatus was performed in 12 patients. The average preoperative curve for the group measured 100 degrees, and the average postoperative curve at a mean follow-up time of 21 months was 37 degrees. The mean loss of correction was 8 degrees. Although superior hook dislodgment occurred in 5 patients, no pseudarthrosis or beinding of the fusion mass was documented.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Reconstructive spinal surgery as palliation for metastatic malignancies of the spine.

Metastatic tumors of the spine often cause severe pain and paralysis because of deformity and neural encroachment. As oncology now extends the life expectancies of these patients, spinal decompression and stabilization is necessary. We consider that prophylactic stabilization of the spine is analogous to prophylactic nailing of a femur with a pathologic lesion. Both the femur and spine are weight-bearing structures. The advent of segmental instrumentation makes this a feasible accomplishment with minimal morbidity. Seventeen patients with metastatic disease of the spine at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, were reviewed. All maintained spinal stability postoperatively. Eleven of the 17 had significant pain relief for 3 months or more. Five of 11 paralyzed patients had significant neural recovery. A classification for treatment purposes regardless of tissue type was developed. Once classified, the surgical goals for these patients were to decrease pain, to preserve or to improve neurologic function and to mobilize the patient without external orthosis.

Adult↗