Surgical intervention combined with weight-bearing walking training promotes recovery in patients with chronic spinal cord injury:a randomized controlled study

For patients with chronic spinal cord injury,the co nventional treatment is rehabilitation and treatment of spinal cord injury complications such as urinary tract infection,pressure sores,osteoporosis,and deep vein thrombosis.Surgery is rarely perfo rmed on spinal co rd injury in the chronic phase,and few treatments have been proven effective in chronic spinal cord injury patients.Development of effective therapies fo r chronic spinal co rd injury patients is needed.We conducted a randomized controlled clinical trial in patients with chronic complete thoracic spinal co rd injury to compare intensive rehabilitation(weight-bearing walking training)alone with surgical intervention plus intensive rehabilitation.This clinical trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov(NCT02663310).The goal of surgical intervention was spinal cord detethering,restoration of cerebrospinal fluid flow,and elimination of residual spinal cord compression.We found that surgical intervention plus weight-bearing walking training was associated with a higher incidence of American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale improvement,reduced spasticity,and more rapid bowel and bladder functional recovery than weight-bearing walking training alone.Overall,the surgical procedures and intensive rehabilitation were safe.American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale improvement was more common in T7-T11 injuries than in T2-T6 injuries.Surgery combined with rehabilitation appears to have a role in treatment of chronic spinal cord injury patients.

Impact of the Rapid Recovery Concept on Complications and Patient Quality of Life in the Perioperative Nursing of Robot-Assisted Radical Oesophageal Cancer

Aim: This study evaluates the impact of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) nursing on postoperative complications and quality of life in patients undergoing robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE). Methods: A total of 150 patients who underwent RAMIE from January 2020 to January 2022 at our hospital were randomly assigned to either the observation group or the control group, with 75 patients in each. The control group received standard perioperative management and nursing care, while the observation group was treated with ERAS nursing strategies. Interventions continued until discharge, and outcomes such as postoperative complications, quality of life, and nutritional status were compared between the groups. Results: The observation group exhibited a significantly lower incidence of postoperative adverse reactions compared to the control group (P ionally, all dimension scores of the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), including the total score, were higher in the observation group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS) scores for impaired nutritional status and disease severity, along with the total NRS score, were significantly lower in the observation group compared to the control group (P Conclusion: Implementing ERAS nursing in the perioperative care of patients undergoing RAMIE is associated with reduced postoperative complications and enhanced postoperative quality of life and nutritional status. .

Combining robot-assisted surgical system and 3D visualization system for teaching minimally invasive vitreoretinal surgery

AIM:To investigate the feasibility of teaching minimally invasive vitreoretinal surgery with a robot-assisted surgical system and a three-dimensional(3D) visualization system.METHODS:Enucleated porcine eyes were established as an animal model for removing foreign bodies.Forty medical students were recruited to remove foreign bodies to compare the traditional microscope and the 3D system.One junior resident performed the surgical task with manual and robot-assisted operations on 20 porcine eyes for each group.One senior surgeon evaluated the retinal invasion by a graded injury degree.The learning curve for minimally invasive vitreoretinal surgery was described.RESULTS:Compared with the robot-assisted group,the injury degree was higher in the manual group.For the first ten surgeries,the manual and robot-assisted groups had injuries of 2.60±1.35(4 to 0) and 1.80±1.62(4 to 0),respectively.For the last ten surgeries,the injury degrees were 1.90±1.20(3 to 0) and 0.80±0.42(1 to 0).Considering the manual and robot-assisted groups together,95%,75% and 60% of the students considered surgical manipulation with the 3D visualization system to be more comfortable,easier and clearer,respectively.CONCLUSION:The robot-assisted surgical system and 3D visualization system may have value in teaching minimally invasive vitreoretinal surgery.

Establishment and verification of a surgical prognostic model for cervical spinal cord injury without radiological abnormality

Some studies have suggested that early surgical treatment can effectively improve the prognosis of cervical spinal cord injury without radiological abnormality, but no research has focused on the development of a prognostic model of cervical spinal cord injury without radiological abnormality. This retrospective analysis included 43 patients with cervical spinal cord injury without radiological abnormality. Seven potential factors were assessed: age, sex, external force strength causing damage, duration of disease, degree of cervical spinal stenosis, Japanese Orthopaedic Association score, and physiological cervical curvature. A model was established using multiple binary logistic regression analysis. The model was evaluated by concordant profiling and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Bootstrapping was used for internal validation. The prognostic model was as follows: logit(P) =-25.4545 + 21.2576 VALUE + 1.2160SCORE-3.4224 TIME, where VALUE refers to the Pavlov ratio indicating the extent of cervical spinal stenosis, SCORE refers to the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score(0–17) after the operation, and TIME refers to the disease duration(from injury to operation). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for all patients was 0.8941(95% confidence interval, 0.7930–0.9952). Three factors assessed in the predictive model were associated with patient outcomes: a great extent of cervical stenosis, a poor preoperative neurological status, and a long disease duration. These three factors could worsen patient outcomes. Moreover, the disease prognosis was considered good when logit(P) ≥-2.5105. Overall, the model displayed a certain clinical value. This study was approved by the Biomedical Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China(approval number: 2018063) on May 8, 2018.

Mitomycin C induces apoptosis in human epidural scar fibroblasts after surgical decompression for spinal cord injury

Numerous studies have shown that topical application of mitomycin C after surgical decompression effectively reduces scar adhesion. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of mitomycin C on the proliferation and apoptosis of human epidural scar fibroblasts. Human epidural scar fibroblasts were treated with various concentrations of mitomycin C （1, 5, 10, 20, 40 μg/mL） for 12, 24 and 48 hours. Mitomycin C suppressed the growth of these cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Mitomycin C upregulated the expression levels of Fas, DR4, DR5, cleaved caspase-8/9, Bax, Bim and cleaved caspase-3 proteins, and it downregulated Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression. In addition, inhibitors of caspase-8 and caspase-9 （Z-IETD-FMK and Z-LEHD-FMK, respectively） did not fully inhibit mitomycin C-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, mitomycin C induced endoplasmic reticulum stress by increasing the expression of glucose-regulated protein 78, CAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein （CHOP） and caspase 4 in a dose-dependent manner. Salubrinal significantly inhibited the mitomycin C-induced cell viability loss and apoptosis, and these effects were accompanied by a reduction in CHOP expression. Our results support the hypothesis that mitomycin C induces human epidural scar fibroblast apoptosis, at least in part, via the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway.

Surgical intervention combined with weight-bearing walking training improves neurological recoveries in 320 patients with clinically complete spinal cord injury:a prospective self-controlled study

Although a large number of trials in the SCI field have been conducted,few proven gains have been realized for patients.In the present study,we determined the efficacy of a novel combination treatment involving surgical intervention and long-term weight-bearing walking training in spinal cord injury(SCI)subjects clinically diagnosed as complete or American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale(AIS)Class A(AIS-A).A total of 320 clinically complete SCI subjects(271 male and 49 female),aged 16–60 years,received early(≤7 days,n=201)or delayed(8–30 days,n=119)surgical interventions to reduce intraspinal or intramedullary pressure.Fifteen days post-surgery,all subjects received a weight-bearing walking training with the“Kunming Locomotion Training Program(KLTP)”for a duration of 6 months.The neurological deficit and recovery were assessed using the AIS scale and a 10-point Kunming Locomotor Scale(KLS).We found that surgical intervention significantly improved AIS scores measured at 15 days post-surgery as compared to the pre-surgery baseline scores.Significant improvement of AIS scores was detected at 3 and 6 months and the KLS further showed significant improvements between all pair-wise comparisons of time points of 15 days,3 or 6 months indicating continued improvement in walking scores during the 6-month period.In conclusion,combining surgical intervention within 1 month post-injury and weight-bearing locomotor training promoted continued and statistically significant neurological recoveries in subjects with clinically complete SCI,which generally shows little clinical recovery within the first year after injury and most are permanently disabled.This study was approved by the Science and Research Committee of Kunming General Hospital of PLA and Kunming Tongren Hospital,China and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov(Identifier:NCT04034108)on July 26,2019.

Minimally Invasive Surgical Approach for Spinal Canal Tumors—Technique Description and Experience from a Reference Center

Background: Spinal canal tumors are difficult to diagnose and treat. The traditional surgical approaches for attempting a complete excision of these lesions frequently involve big incisions and tissue dissection with high risk of postop instability and cerebrospinal fluid leakage. Also, there is a risk of neurological worsening, sometimes irreversible. Methods: We present our experience in a patient series with spinal canal tumors and describe the surgical approach with minimally invasive techniques (MIS). All of them were performed by the Neurosurgery team of the Hospital Universitario San Ignacio during the period of 2011-2016. Results: We reviewed forty patients with spinal canal tumors surgically treated with MIS techniques. 15 patients (37.5%) had Meningioma diagnosis (complete resection in 11 (73.3%), subtotal in 3 (20%) and biopsy in one patient), 10 patients (25%) with Schwannomas reached complete resection in 70% and subtotal in 30%. 5 patients had spinal cord metastasis, with complete resection in 4 patients (80%) and subtotal in 1 (20%). Other included ependymoma, astrocytoma, and miscellaneous. No patient has had cerebrospinal fluid leakage and no postoperative fusion has been required. Conclusions: The minimally invasive approach allowed complete tumors removal in a high number of patients and good postoperative results. These findings are similar and in some cases, better than the reported with traditional techniques. This MIS technique provides encouraging results. It requires a wide learning curve and a high degree of surgical experience.

SURGICAL TREATMENT OF METASTATIC SPINAL TUMOR

30

Surgical approach affecting long-term urinary continence status after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy prospectively evaluated using self-reported functional status(Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite,EPIC-26)

Purpose:The aim of the study was to examine the influence of the surgical approach for robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy(RALP)on long-term urinary continence status in the era of self-reported functional status measures using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite 26.Materials and methods:This is a prospective evaluation of 232 patients undergoing RALP between September,2019 and September,2020.Urinary continence status and postoperative incontinence(pad usage)were evaluated 12 months after RALP using Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite 26 questionnaires.Patients were categorized according to their surgical approach and outcome into the following groups:successful nerve sparing(NS),primarily without nerve sparing(prim.NNS),and no nerve sparing by secondary resection(NNS by SR).The median levels of their questionnaire outcomes were evaluated and compared using the Wilcoxon rank sum test with continuity correction.Results:Urinary continence status 12 months after RALP differed significantly between the NS and prim.NNS(p=0.0071)and the NS and NNS by SR(p=0.0076)groups.There was no significant difference between the prim.NNS and NNS by SR(p=0.53)groups.Pad usage 12 months after RALP had no significant difference with regard to SR of the neurovascular bundle(p=0.14).Conclusions:Patient-reported outcomes of long-term urinary continence status seem to show no difference in postoperative continence,regardless of whether a non-nerve-sparing result was planned or reached through SR.Instead,preservation of neurovascular bundle seems to lead to better long-term continence rates.

Strategies of surgical treatment of the spinal metastatic tumors

Objective To study the clinical features, surgical treatments and the prognosis of the 103 patients with the metastatic tumors in the spine. Methods From Jan. 1996 to Dec. 2001,103 cases were treated by operation in our department, there were 62 males and 41 females, aging from 33 to 79 years old (average,59 years). The lesions were located at cervical spines in 34 cases, thoracic spines in 39,lumbar spines in 25 and sacrum in 5. The patients underwnet anterior, prosterior,combined or staged antero-posterior operations based on the location of lesions in the spine. Most of the patients were adopted vertebral reconstruction and internal fixation depending on the conditions. Preoperative clinical evaluation included of general conditions,X-ray films,CT scan.MRI and ECT in odrer to decide the endurance of the patient to the surgical treatment. The operation was only considered when the patient could have the expected survival time more than 6 months. Operative indications, surgical methods and prognosis

Surgical strategy to dural ossification of thoracic spinal stenosis

Objective To explore the surgical strategies of thoracic spinal stenosis with dural ossification.Methods One-hundred and eight patients with thoracic spinal stenosis were treated.Dural ossification was found in 29 cases during operation

Application of intraoperative indocyanine green videoangiography in the surgical treatment of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas

Objective To evaluate the clinical significance of intraoperative indocyanine green (ICG) videoangiography in surgical management of spinal dural ateriovenots fistulae (dAVFs) . Methods In this retrospective analysis we examined nine cases of dAVFs,diagnosed by complete spinal angiography,in which laminoplasty were performed through posterior approach. An operating microscope-integrated light

Diagnosis and one stage surgical treatment of lower thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum combined with lumbar spinal stenosis

Objective To study the diagnosis and treatment of lower thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum(OLF) combined with lumbar spinal stenosis.Methods Retrospective analysis was carried out on 11 cases of lower thoracic OLF combined with

Surgical treatment of spinal tuberculosis in older patients

Objective To discuss perioperative features,operative approach and surgical effects of spinal tuberculosis in older patients.Methods Retrospective analysis was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 45 patients with spinal

Totally intracorporeal robot-assisted urinary diversion for bladder cancer(part 2).Review and detailed characterization of the existing intracorporeal orthotopic ileal neobladder

Objective:To review the most used intracorporeal orthotopic ileal neobladder(ICONB)after radical cystectomy for bladder cancer and create a unified compendium of the different alternatives,including new consistent images.Methods:We performed a non-systematic review of the literature with the keywords“bladder cancer”,“urinary diversion”,“radical cystectomy”,and“neobladder”.Results:Forty studies were included in the analysis.The most frequent type of ICONB was the modified Studer“U”neobladder(70%)followed by the Hautmann“W”modified neobladder(7.5%),the“Y”neobladder(5%),and the Padua neobladder(5%).The operative time to perform a urinary diversion ranged from 124 to 553 min.The total estimated blood loss ranged from 200 to 900 mL.The rate of positive surgical margins ranged from 0%to 8.1%.Early minor and major complication rates ranged from 0%to 100%and from 0%to 33%,respectively.Late minor and major complication rates ranged from 0%to 70%and from 0%to 25%,respectively.Conclusion:The most frequent types of ICONB are Studer“U”neobladder,Hautmann“W”neobladder,“Y”neobladder,and the Padua neobladder.Randomized studies comparing the performance of the different types of ICONB,the performance in an intra or extracorporeal manner,or the performance of an ICONB versus ICIC are lacking in the literature.To this day,there are not sufficient quality data to determine the supremacy of one technique.This manuscript represents a compendium of the most used ICONB with detailed descriptions of the technical aspects,operative and perioperative outcomes,and new consistent images of each technique.

A comparison of robot-assisted and fluoroscopy-assisted kyphoplasty in the treatment of multi-segmental osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures

Osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture(OVCF)has become a major public health issue that becomes more pressing with increasing global aging.Percutaneous kyphoplasty(PKP)is an effective treatment for OVCF.Robot-assisted PKP has been utilized in recent years to improve accuracy and reduce complications.However,the effectiveness of robot-assisted PKP in the treatment of multi-segmental OVCF has yet to be proved.This study was designed to compare the efficacy of robot-assisted and conventional fluoroscopy-assisted multi-segmental PKP.A total of 30 cases with multi-segmental OVCF between April 2019 and April 2021 were included in this study.Fifteen cases were assigned to the robot-assisted PKP group(robot group)and 15 cases to the conventional fluoroscopy-assisted PKP group(conventional fluoroscopy group).The number of fluoroscopic exposures,fluoroscopic dose,operation time,cement leakage rate,visual analog scale(VAS)score,vertebral kyphosis angle(VKA),and height of fractured vertebral body(HFV)were compared between the 2 groups.The number of fluoroscopic exposures,fluoroscopic doses,and cement leakage rates in the robot group were lower than in the conventional fluoroscopy group(P<0.05)while the operative time in the robot group was longer than in the conventional fluoroscopy group(P<0.05).VAS score and VKA were decreased and HFV was increased after surgery in both groups(P<0.05).Therefore,robot-assisted PKP for the treatment of multi-segmental OVCF can reduce the number of fluoroscopic exposures,fluoroscopic doses,and cement leakage compared to conventional treatment.As such,robot-assisted PKP has good application prospects and is potentially more effective in the treatment of multi-segmental OVCF.

Totally intracorporeal robot-assisted urinary diversion for bladder cancer(Part 1).Review and detailed characterization of ileal conduit and modified Indiana pouch

Objective:To review the most used robot-assisted cutaneous urinary diversion(CUD)after radical cystectomy for bladder cancer and create a unified compendium of the different alternatives,including new consistent images Methods:A non-systematic review of the literature with the keywords“bladder cancer”,“cutaneous urinary diversion”,and“radical cystectomy”was performed.Results:Twenty-four studies of intracorporeal ileal conduit(ICIC)and two of intracorporeal Indiana pouch(ICIP)were included in the analysis.Regarding ICIC,the patients’age ranged from 60 to 76 years.The operative time to perform a urinary diversion ranged from 60 to 133 min.The total estimated blood loss ranged from 200 to 1117 mL.The rate of positive surgical margins ranged from 0%to 14.3%.Early minor and major complication rates ranged from 0%to 71.4%and from 0%to 53.4%,respectively.Late minor and major complication rates ranged from 0%to 66%and from 0%to 32%,respectively.Totally ICIP data are limited to one case report and one clinical series.Conclusion:The most frequent type of CUD is ICIC.Randomized studies comparing the performance of the different types of CUD,the performance in an intra-or extracorporeal manner,or the performance of a CUD versus orthotopic ileal neobladder are lacking in the literature.To this day,there are not enough quality data to determine the supremacy of one technique.This manuscript represents a compendium of the most used CUD with detailed descriptions of the technical aspects,operative and perioperative outcomes,and new consistent images for each technique.

Current strategies to diagnose and manage positive surgical margins and local recurrence after partial nephrectomy

Objective:No standard strategy for diagnosis and management of positive surgical margin(PSM)and local recurrence after partial nephrectomy(PN)are reported in literature.This review aims to provide an overview of the current strategies and further perspectives on this patient setting.Methods:A non-systematic review of the literature was completed.The research included the most updated articles(about the last 10 years).Results:Techniques for diagnosing PSMs during PN include intraoperative frozen section,imprinting cytology,and other specific tools.No clear evidence is reported about these methods.Regarding PSM management,active surveillance with a combination of imaging and laboratory evaluation is the first option line followed by surgery.Regarding local recurrence management,surgery is the primary curative approach when possible but it may be technically difficult due to anatomy resultant from previous PN.In this scenario,thermal ablation(TA)may have the potential to circumvent these limitations representing a less invasive alternative.Salvage surgery represents a valid option;six studies analyzed the outcomes of nephrectomy on local recurrence after PN with three of these focused on robotic approach.Overall,complication rates of salvage surgery are higher compared to TA but ablation presents a higher recurrence rate up to 25%of cases that can often be managed with repeat ablation.Conclusion:Controversy still exists surrounding the best strategy for management and diagnosis of patients with PSMs or local recurrence after PN.Active surveillance is likely to be the optimal first-line management option for most patients with PSMs.Ablation and salvage surgery both represent valid options in patients with local recurrence after PN.Conversely,salvage PN and radical nephrectomy have fewer recurrences but are associated with a higher complication rate compared to TA.In this scenario,robotic surgery plays an important role in improving salvage PN and radical nephrectomy outcomes.

Pathophysiological mechanisms of chronic compressive spinal cord injury due to vascular events

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy is the main cause of non-traumatic spinal cord injury,with chronic static and/or dynamic compressive spinal cord injury as the unique pathogenesis.In the progression of this condition,the microvascular network is compressed and destroyed,resulting in ischemia and hypoxia.The main pathological changes are inflammation,damage to the blood spinal cord barriers,and cell apoptosis at the site of compression.Studies have confirmed that vascular regeneration and remodeling contribute to neural repair by promoting blood flow and the reconstruction of effective circulation to meet the nutrient and oxygen requirements for nerve repair.Surgical decompression is the most effective clinical treatment for this condition;however,in some patients,residual neurological dysfunction remains after decompression.Facilitating revascularization during compression and after decompression is therefore complementary to surgical treatment.In this review,we summarize the progress in research on chronic compressive spinal cord injury,covering both physiological and pathological changes after compression and decompression,and the regulatory mechanisms of vascular injury and repair.

Association Between Constipation and a Reduction in Lower Limb Muscle Strength in Preoperative Patients with Thoracic Spinal Tumors

Objective To investigate the clinical symptoms experienced by patients with thoracic spinal tumors and verify the associated symptoms that are predictive of a decline in muscle strength in the lower limbs.Methods A single-center,retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on in-patients diagnosed with epidural thoracic spinal tumors between January 2011 and May 2021.The study involved a review of electronic medical records and radiographs and the collection of clinical data.The differences in clinical manifestations between patients with constipation and those without constipation were analyzed.Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors associated with a decline in muscle strength in the lower limbs.Results A total of 227 patients were enrolled,including 131 patients with constipation and 96 without constipation.The constipation group had a significantly higher proportion of patients who experienced difficulty walking or paralysis compared to those without constipation prior to surgery(83.2%vs.17.7%,χ~2=99.035,P 0.001).Constipation(OR=9.522,95%CI:4.150±21.849,P 0.001)and urinary retention(OR=14.490,95%CI:4.543±46.213,P 0.001)were independent risk factors for muscle strength decline in the lower limbs.Conclusions The study observed that patients with thoracic spinal tumors who experienced constipation symptoms had a higher incidence of lower limb weakness.Moreover,the analysis revealed that constipation and urinary retention were independent risk factors associated with a preoperative decline in muscle strength of lower limbs.