Craniotomy For Tumor Research Articles

Glioblastoma following Hemorrhagic Stroke: A Case Report

Objective: To report a glioblastoma (GBM) case preceded by a hemorrhagic stroke. Methods: This case reported a 53-year-old male presenting at at Murni Teguh Memorial Hospital, Medan, Indonesia, with a chief complaint of an altered mental state. The condition had been worsened for two weeks. On anamnesis, he was identified to have experienced intracerebral hemorrhage in January 2020. A follow-up head computed tomography scan was conducted in September 2020, showing a normal condition of the brain. Other oncogenic risk factors were not found. Due to convulsion in October 2020, the patient underwent a magnetic resonance imaging examination showing a cystic right temporoparietooccipital lesion and cerebral edema. Craniotomy tumor removal surgery was performed while the tumor was further examined for histopathological findings. The tumor was diagnosed as glioblastoma with microvascular proliferation and palisading necrosis. Results: There was some associations between hemorrhagic stroke and glioblastoma development. Conclusion: GBM preceded by hemorrhagic stroke is a rare case that can be diagnosed thoroughly by complete clinical and adjunct examinations.

Is There a Relationship between the Elasticity of Brain Tumors, Changes in Diffusion Tensor Imaging, and Histological Findings? A Pilot Study Using Intraoperative Ultrasound Elastography.

Intraoperative ultrasound elastography (IOUS-E) is a novel image modality applied in brain tumor assessment. However, the potential links between elastographic findings and other histological and neuroimaging features are unknown. This study aims to find associations between brain tumor elasticity, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics, and cell proliferation. A retrospective study was conducted to analyze consecutively admitted patients who underwent craniotomy for supratentorial brain tumors between March 2018 and February 2020. Patients evaluated by IOUS-E and preoperative DTI were included. A semi-quantitative analysis was performed to calculate the mean tissue elasticity (MTE). Diffusion coefficients and the tumor proliferation index by Ki-67 were registered. Relationships between the continuous variables were determined using the Spearman ρ test. A predictive model was developed based on non-linear regression using the MTE as the dependent variable. Forty patients were evaluated. The pathologic diagnoses were as follows: 21 high-grade gliomas (HGG); 9 low-grade gliomas (LGG); and 10 meningiomas. Cases with a proliferation index of less than 10% had significantly higher medians of MTE (110.34 vs. 79.99, p < 0.001) and fractional anisotropy (FA) (0.24 vs. 0.19, p = 0.020). We found a strong positive correlation between MTE and FA (rs (38) = 0.91, p < 0.001). A cubic spline non-linear regression model was obtained to predict tumoral MTE from FA (R2 = 0.78, p < 0.001). According to our results, tumor elasticity is associated with histopathological and DTI-derived metrics. These findings support the usefulness of IOUS-E as a complementary tool in brain tumor surgery.

Sterile Gelatin Film Reduces Cortical Injury Associated With Brain Tumor Re-Resection.

BACKGROUNDRecurrent intracranial tumors frequently require re-resection. Dural adhesions to the cortex increase the morbidity and duration of these revision craniotomies.OBJECTIVETo describe the use of commercially available sterile gelatin film to prevent meningocerebral adhesions and decrease the rate of surgically induced ischemia from revision craniotomy.METHODSThis retrospective cohort study examined patients with recurrent glioma, meningioma, and metastasis who underwent re-resection at least 30 d following their initial tumor resection. Cortical surface tissue ischemia after re-resection on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging was compared for patients with (gelatin film group) and without (nongelatin film group) a history of gelatin film placement at the conclusion of their initial tumor resection.RESULTSA total of 84 patients in the gelatin film group were compared to 86 patients in the nongelatin film group. Patient age, sex, tumor pathology, tumor volume, tumor eloquence, laterality of surgical approach, history of radiotherapy, and time interval between resections did not differ between groups. Radiographic evidence of cortical ischemia following reoperation was less prevalent in the gelatin film group (13.1% vs 32.6%; P < .01). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, no gelatin film (P < .01) and larger tumor size (P = .02) predicted cortical surface ischemia following revision craniotomy. Postoperative complications in the gelatin film and nongelatin film group otherwise did not differ.CONCLUSIONRoutine placement of commercially available sterile gelatin film on the cortex prior to dural closure is associated with decreased surgically induced tissue ischemia at the time of revision tumor craniotomy.

Optimizing post anesthesia care unit admission after elective craniotomy for brain tumors: a cohort study.

Postoperative admission to intensive care unit (ICU) after craniotomy for brain tumor was the routine in the past years. However, there is little evidence supporting this dogma and doubts have been casted by many authors in the last years. Our aim was to identify risk factors for ICU admission after elective brain tumor surgery in order to propose an individualized admission to ICU tailored on patient needs. We conducted a retrospective cohort study including all patients undergoing elective surgery for brain tumor in a neurosurgical post anesthesia care unit of a university hospital over a period of 6 years. In order to identify and validate risk factors for ICU admission, we split the final cohort of patients in a training cohort (two/third of the cohort) and the validation cohort (one/third of the cohort) using a random sequence. Using univariate and multivariate logistic regression, we created a scoring system in the training cohort and tested it with the validation cohort. Moreover, we perform a sensitivity analysis on the overall population. A total of 420 patients were eligible for this study. ASA-PS, tumor volume, and surgery length entered the scoring system. Sensitivity analysis on the overall population for the scoring system had an AUC of 0.774 (95% CI 0.668-0.880, the best threshold at 12.5) CONCLUSIONS: We created a tool based on ASA-PS, length of surgery, and tumor volume to evaluate the risk for ICU admission after supratentorial tumor resection. Prospective studies are deemed necessary to validate our tool.

Venous Thromboembolism Anticoagulation Prophylaxis Timing in Patients Undergoing Craniotomy for Tumor

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Prophylactic anticoagulation helps prevent postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) and time to initiation postcraniotomy has relied on clinical judgment and practice patterns. OBJECTIVE To compare risks of postoperative VTE and hemorrhage among patients undergoing tumor resection with initiation of prophylactic anticoagulation on postoperative day 1 (POD1) vs POD2. METHODS Adult patients undergoing craniotomy for tumor between 2008 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Outcomes were recorded from the Electronic medical record (EMR) including deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), and hemorrhage. RESULTS Of a total of 1168 patients undergoing craniotomy, 225 initiated anticoagulation on POD1 and 389 initiated on POD2. Of the 171 glioblastoma (GBM) cases, 64 initiated on POD1 and 107 on POD2. There were 9 DVTs (1.5%), 1 PE (0.20%), overall VTE rate of 1.6%, and 7 hemorrhagic complications (1.10%), 4 being clinically significant. The GBM cohort contained 4 DVTs (2.3%) and 3 hemorrhagic complications (1.80%). There was no increased risk of VTE or hemorrhage with anticoagulation initiated on POD2 compared to POD1 in either cohort. Multivariate analysis in both cohorts did not reveal a significant association between DVT, PE, or hemorrhagic complications with age, body mass index, GBM pathology, or extent of resection. Interestingly, glioma patients older than 70 with subtotal resection had a higher likelihood of suffering intracranial hemorrhage when anticoagulation was started on POD1 (odds ratio 12.98). CONCLUSION Risk of VTE or hemorrhagic complication did not significantly differ with prophylactic anticoagulation started on POD1 vs POD2. Early anticoagulation may certainly be considered in high risk cases; however, 1 group where risk may outweigh benefit is the elderly glioma population receiving a subtotal resection.

Early outcomes of supratentorial cranial surgery for tumor resection in older patients

With longevity increasing in the United States, more older individuals are presenting with supratentorial brain tumors. Despite improved perioperative management, there is persistent disparity in surgical resection rates among patients aged 65 years or older. We aim to assess the effects of advanced age (≥65 years) on 30-day outcomes in patients with supratentorial tumors who underwent craniotomy for supratentorial tumor resection. Data obtained in adults who underwent supratentorial tumor resections was extracted from the prospectively-collected American College of Surgeons: National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP; 2012–2018) database. Using multivariate regression, we compared odds of major and minor complications; prolonged length-of-stay (LOS); discharge anywhere other than home; and 30-day readmission, reoperation, and mortality rates between patients aged 18–64 years (the control cohort) and those 65–74 years or ≥75 years of age. Of the 14,234 patients who underwent craniotomy for supratentorial tumors and met inclusion criteria, 30.7% were ≥65 years of age; 71.4% of these were 65–74 years and 28.6% were ≥75 years old. Compared to the control group, both older subpopulations had more medical comorbidities. Both older subgroups had increased odds of major complications and prolonged LOS relative to the control group. Older patients had greater odds of mortality at 30 days. Advanced age, defined as ≥65 years, was significantly associated with higher odds of complications, prolonged LOS, and mortality within the 30-day post- operative period after adjusting for potential confounders. Age is one important consideration when prospectively risk-stratifying patients to minimize and mitigate suboptimal perioperative outcomes.

SURG-12. PAEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOUR SURGERY: HOW CAN WE REPORT OUR SURGICAL OUTCOMES AND OPERATIVE MORBIDITY?

OBJECTIVEOur objective was to quantify resection outcomes and operative morbidity in paediatric brain tumour surgery using existing scales, assessing their applicability.METHODSWe investigated morbidity using the Clavien-Dindo (CD) scale and the Drake classification. All paediatric patients receiving a biopsy or craniotomy for an intracranial tumour in a single tertiary paediatric neurosurgery centre between January 2008 and December 2018 were studied. Complications up to day 30 post op were graded.RESULTSThere were 459 operations: 92 biopsies and 367 craniotomies comprising 166 infratentorial and 292 supratentorial tumours. Median age was 9 years (56% male). The surgical goal was achieved or exceeded in 94% of cases. Thirty-day mortality was 1.31% with all deaths related to disease and none to surgical complications. The overall CD score was 1 in 10.9% of cases, 2 in 18.9%, 3A in 1.7%, 3B in 11.8%, and 4 in 1.1%. There was no operative morbidity in 54% of cases. Using the Drake classification, meningitis was seen in 3.92% of cases, seizures in 3.92%, neurological deficit (that persisted at 30 days) in 8.5%, CSF leak in 5.01%, wound infection in 1.96%, haemorrhage 1.75 %, shunt infection in 1.53%, shunt block in 0.65%, medical complications in 2.4%, and others in 3.05%.CONCLUSIONSThis is the largest series presenting morbidity from paediatric brain tumour surgery, and the first to validate the CD scale. Our morbidity on the Drake scale was comparable with other series. There is a need to develop improved tools to quantify morbidity in this high-risk specialty.

Dual-Eligible Insurance Status is Associated with Poorer Perioperative Brain Tumor Craniotomy Outcomes

Tang, Oliver Y; Rivera Perla, Krissia M BS; Ruiz, Kiara Corcoran; Toms, Steven A MD, MPH; Weil, Robert J Author Information

The impact of hospital safety-net status on inpatient outcomes for brain tumor craniotomy: a 10-year nationwide analysis.

BackgroundOutcome disparities have been documented at safety-net hospitals (SNHs), which disproportionately serve vulnerable patient populations. Using a nationwide retrospective cohort, we assessed inpatient outcomes following brain tumor craniotomy at SNHs in the United States.MethodsWe identified all craniotomy procedures in the National Inpatient Sample from 2002–2011 for brain tumors: glioma, metastasis, meningioma, and vestibular schwannoma. Safety-net burden was calculated as the number of Medicaid plus uninsured admissions divided by total admissions. Hospitals in the top quartile of burden were defined as SNHs. The association between SNH status and in-hospital mortality, discharge disposition, complications, hospital-acquired conditions (HACs), length of stay (LOS), and costs were assessed. Multivariate regression adjusted for patient, hospital, and severity characteristics.Results304,719 admissions were analyzed. The most common subtype was glioma (43.8%). Of 1,206 unique hospitals, 242 were SNHs. SNH admissions were more likely to be non-white (P < .001), low income (P < .001), and have higher severity scores (P = .034). Mortality rates were higher at SNHs for metastasis admissions (odds ratio [OR] = 1.48, P = .025), and SNHs had higher complication rates for meningioma (OR = 1.34, P = .003) and all tumor types combined (OR = 1.17, P = .034). However, there were no differences at SNHs for discharge disposition or HACs. LOS and hospital costs were elevated at SNHs for all subtypes, culminating in a 10% and 9% increase in LOS and costs for the overall population, respectively (all P < .001).ConclusionsSNHs demonstrated poorer inpatient outcomes for brain tumor craniotomy. Further analyses of the differences observed and potential interventions to ameliorate interhospital disparities are warranted.

Tobacco Use Is Associated with Readmission within 90 Days after Craniotomy

ObjectiveTobacco use increases morbidity and mortality following craniotomy. Readmission is an important hospital metric of patient outcomes and has been used to inform reimbursement. This study aims to determine if tobacco use is associated with readmission within 90 days of hospital discharge among patients undergoing elective craniotomy. MethodsThe Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD), a population-based, nationally representative database, was queried from 2010-2014. Patients undergoing craniotomy for benign or malignant tumors, vascular pathologies, and epilepsy were identified. Readmissions within 90 days of index hospitalization were characterized by admitting diagnoses. Tobacco use was defined by ICD-9 coding for active or prior use. Descriptive and multivariable regression analyses evaluated patient and hospital factors associated with readmission. ResultsThe study population included 77,903 patients treated with craniotomy. Of these, 17,674 (22.6%) were readmitted within 90 days. The most common reasons for readmission were post-operative infection (5.8%), septicemia (4.2%), pulmonary embolism (3.9%), and pneumonia (2.9%). Tobacco use was associated with a 7% increased likelihood of 90-day readmission (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03-1.11, p = 0.0008) after accounting for other patient-, disease-, and hospital-level factors in multivariate analysis. ConclusionsTobacco use was associated with increased 90-day readmission in patients undergoing craniotomy. Recognizing tobacco use as a modifiable risk factor of readmission presents an opportunity to identify susceptible patients.

Frailty Is Associated with In-Hospital Morbidity and Nonroutine Disposition in Brain Tumor Patients Undergoing Craniotomy

Frailty is associated with postoperative morbidity in multiple surgical disciplines. We evaluated the association between frailty and early postoperative outcomes for brain tumor patients using a national database. We reviewed the Nationwide Readmissions Database from 2010 to 2014. International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision, codes were used to identify benign and malignant brain tumors treated with surgical resection. Pituitary tumors were excluded. Frailty was assessed using the Johns Hopkins Adjusted Clinical Groups frailty indicator tool. Multivariable exact logistic regression was used to conduct analyses assessing the association between frailty and the outcome variables. Statistical significance was defined as P < 0.001. The criteria for frailty were met for 7209 of 87,835 patients (8.2%). After adjustment for patient and hospital factors, frailty was independently associated with in-hospital surgical complications (odds ratio [OR], 1.48; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.37-1.59; P < 0.0001), mental status changes (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.72-2.09; P < 0.0001), and pulmonary insufficiency (OR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.55-1.96; P < 0.0001). Frailty was associated with an increased length of stay (incident rate ratio, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.87-1.98; P < 0.0001) and nonroutine disposition (OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.72-1.97; P < 0.0001). In-hospital mortality was greater for frail patients (2.2% vs. 1.4%; P < 0.0001), but the difference did not achieve significance on multivariate analysis. Frail patients were not more likely to be readmitted. Frailty is associated with in-hospital complications and nonroutine disposition after craniotomy for benign and malignant brain tumors. Additional work is needed to identify prehabilitation or in-hospital strategies to improve the care and outcomes of these at-risk patients.

SURG-17. EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF LASER INTERSTITIAL THERMAL ABLATION IN ELDERLY BRAIN TUMOR PATIENTS

Abstract INTRODUCTION Open craniotomy for tumor carries notable perioperative risks as well as associated prolonged ICU stays. Risks of surgery are increased in elderly patients. In addition, many tumors are not amenable to resection due to their deep or eloquent location. Magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermal ablation (LITT) offers an alternative, minimal-access procedure. OBJECTIVE To examine the safety and efficacy of LITT procedures in elderly brain tumor patients. METHODS Data was gathered on patients over the age of 65 who underwent MRI-guided LITT for ablation of tumor at our institution between 2014-2019. These cases were analyzed retrospectively and data was collected on patient demographics, tumor characteristics, procedural details, and post-operative complications and outcomes. RESULTS 19 patients over the age of 65 underwent LITT during the study time period and were included in the analysis. The average age was 70 years (range 65-81), with a median follow up of 7 months. Patients had an average of 3.5 pre-existing medical comorbidities with a mean pre-operative Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) of 87 (SD = 10.4). 13 patients underwent LITT for primary CNS tumor and 6 for metastatic lesions. The average lesion volume was 3.44 cm3 with approximately one-third in eloquent areas. An average extent of ablation of 98% was achieved (90-100%). 5/19 patients experience at least one post-op complication including 2 venous thromboembolic events and 1 stroke within 30 days. The average length of stay was 2.3 days, and 13/19 patients were discharged home. No patients experienced new permanent neurological deficits and the average post-operative KPS was 83 (SD = 12.4). 9 patients experienced progression of disease after an average of 155 days, and 11 patients were deceased (average survival = 504 days). CONCLUSION LITT is well tolerated in appropriately selected elderly patients with short post-operative length of stay and minimal surgical morbidity.

Subjective experience, cognitive functioning and trauma level of patients undergoing awake craniotomy due to brain tumor - Preliminary study

Backup and objective Awake craniotomy (AC) for brain tumors, when the patient is conscious during the operation, allows to reduce the risk of motor disability and aphasia, however, it may be a source of extreme stress. The aim of our study was to examine the patients’ subjective experience of the surgery including the level of psychological trauma and cognitive functioning. Method Eighteen patients operated due to brain tumor were enrolled in this study. The Essener Trauma-Inventory Questionnaire and the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination (ACE III) were administrated. The patients’ experience with awake craniotomy was evaluated with a qualitative descriptive survey. Results All patients remembered the intraoperative neuropsychological examination and several sensations like: drilling, cold, head clamp fixation or having eyes covered. In most of the patients the postoperative psychological trauma experience did not reach the clinical level. The ACE III postoperative scores revealed partial cognitive deficits with the lowest scores in memory and word fluency domains. Slight amnestic aphasia was observed postoperatively only in two patients. Conclusions Awake craniotomy for resection of brain tumors is well-tolerated by patients and does not cause significant psychological trauma. Nonetheless, anxiety about the procedure warrants further study and individualized neuropsychological care is needed for the emotional preparation of the patient.

Changing Hands: A Rising Role of the Tumor Surgeon in Teaching Sylvian Fissure Dissection

The landscape of microneurosurgery has changed considerably over the past 2 decades, with a decline in indications for open surgery on cerebrovascular pathology and ever-increasing indications for open resection of brain tumors. This study investigated how these trends in case volume affected residents' training experiences in microsurgery and, specifically, Sylvian fissure dissection. Resident case logs were reviewed, identifying open cerebrovascular operations and craniotomies for tumor. Operations involving Sylvian fissure dissection were identified through operative reports. Changes in case number by resident were plotted over time, and linear regression was applied. Among 23 chief residents, 3045 operations were identified, 1071 of which were for cerebrovascular pathology and 1974 for tumor. Open cerebrovascular experience decreased (P < 0.0001) while tumor volume remained unchanged (P= 0.221). The number of Sylvian fissure dissections per resident did not change over time overall (P= 0.583) or within cerebrovascular operations (P= 0.071). The number of Sylvian fissure dissections in tumor operations increased (P= 0.004). This effect was predominated by an increase in intraaxial tumors approached via Sylvian fissure dissection (P= 0.003). The proportion of Sylvian fissure dissections in tumor surgery increased from 15% in 2009 to 34% by 2019 (P= 0.003). Residents are seeing an increasing proportion of their Sylvian fissure dissection experience during tumor operations. The distribution of this experience will continue to evolve as surgical indications change but suggests a growing role for tumor surgeons in resident training in microsurgery.

Frailty and outcomes after craniotomy for brain tumor

Frailty has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality in a variety of surgical disciplines. Few data exist regarding the relationship of frailty with adverse outcomes in craniotomy for brain tumor resection. We assessed the relationship between frailty and the incidence of major post-operative complication, discharge destination other than home, 30-day readmission, and 30-day mortality after elective craniotomy for brain tumor resection. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 20,333 adult patients undergoing elective craniotomy for tumor resection in the 2012–2018 ACS-NSQIP Participant Use File. Multivariate logistic regression was performed using all covariates deemed eligible through clinical and statistical significance. 6,249 patients (30.7%) were low-frailty and 2,148 patients (10.6%) were medium-to-high frailty. In multivariate logistic regression adjusting for age, gender, BMI, ASA classification, smoking status, dyspnea, significant pre-operative weight loss, chronic steroid use, bleeding disorder, tumor type, and operative time, low frailty was associated with increased adjusted odds ratio of major complication (1.41, 95% CI: 1.23–1.60, p < 0.001), discharge destination other than home (1.32, 95% CI: 1.20–1.46, p < 0.001), 30-day readmission (1.29, 95% CI: 1.15–1.44, p < 0.001), and 30-day mortality (1.87, 95% CI: 1.41–2.47, p < 0.001). Moderate-to-high frailty was also associated with increased adjusted odds of major complication (1.61, 95% CI: 1.35–1.92, p < 0.001), discharge destination other than home (1.80, 95% CI: 1.58–2.05), 30-day readmission (1.39, 95% CI: 1.19–1.62, p < 0.001), and 30-day mortality (2.42, 95% CI: 1.74–3.38, p < 0.001). ConclusionsFrailty is associated with increased odds of major post-operative complication, discharge to destination other than home, 30-day readmission, and 30-day mortality.

Sepsis and septic shock after craniotomy: Predicting a significant patient safety and quality outcome measure

ObjectivesSepsis and septic shock are important quality and patient safety metrics. This study examines incidence of Sepsis and/or septic shock (S/SS) after craniotomy for tumor resection, one of the most common neurosurgical operations.MethodsMulticenter, prospectively collected data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database was used to identify patients undergoing craniotomy for tumor (CPT 61510, 61521, 61520, 61518, 61526, 61545, 61546, 61512, 61519, 61575) from 2012–2015. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors for S/SS.ResultsThere were 18,642 patients that underwent craniotomy for tumor resection. The rate of sepsis was 1.35% with a mortality rate of 11.16% and the rate of septic shock was 0.65% with a 33.06% mortality rate versus an overall mortality rate of 2.46% in the craniotomy for tumor cohort. The 30-day readmission rate was 50.54% with S/SS vs 10.26% in those without S/SS. Multiple factors were identified as statistically significant (p <0.05) for S/SS including ascites (OR = 33.0), ventilator dependence (OR = 4.5), SIRS (OR = 2.8), functional status (OR = 2.3), bleeding disorders (OR = 1.7), severe COPD (OR = 1.6), steroid use (OR = 1.6), operative time >310 minutes (OR = 1.5), hypertension requiring medication (OR = 1.5), ASA class ≥ 3 (OR = 1.4), male sex (OR = 1.4), BMI >35 (OR = 1.4) and infratentorial location.ConclusionsThe data indicate that sepsis and septic shock, although uncommon after craniotomy for tumor resection, carry a significant risk of 30-day unplanned reoperation (35.60%) and mortality (18.21%). The most significant risk factors are ventilator dependence, ascites, SIRS and poor functional status. By identifying the risk factors for S/SS, neurosurgeons can potentially improve outcomes. Further investigation should focus on the creation of a predictive score for S/SS with integration into the electronic health record for targeted protocol initiation in this unique neurosurgical patient population.

Preoperative and intraoperative predictors of deep venous thrombosis in adult patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumors: A Chinese single-center, retrospective study

PurposeBrain tumor resection by craniotomy is associated with a high risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This study evaluated the incidence and preoperative and intraoperative risk factors for DVT within 30 days of surgery. MethodsThe analysis included: 1) basic clinical variables (patient age, sex, body mass index [BMI], tumor location, and tumor histology); 2) blood test results before operation, such as leukocytes, platelets, and coagulation parameters; and 3) surgical factors (total amount of blood lost, anesthesia mode, and surgery duration). ResultsOf the 1670 patients, 206 (12.34%) had DVT and nine (0.54%) had both DVT and pulmonary embolism (PE) after surgery. Preoperative and intraoperative factors independently associated with DVT/PE were: older age 46–55 years (odds ratio [OR]: 2.87; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.83–4.50; P < 0.001), age 56–65 years (OR: 5.24; 95% CI: 3.27–8.40; P < 0.001), age > 65 years (OR: 6.00; 95% CI: 3.45–10.45; P < 0.001), BMI (OR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.00–1.05; P = 0.029), activated partial thromboplastin time [APTT] (OR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.86–0.95; P = 0.000), D-dimer (OR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.23–2.34; P = 0.001), high-grade glioma (OR: 2.09; 95% CI: 1.28–3.40; P = 0.003), glio-neuronal (OR: 3.30; 95% CI: 1.28–8.47; P = 0.013), craniopharyngioma (OR: 2.16; 95% CI: 1.13–4.10; P = 0.019), and surgery duration (OR: 1.82; 95% CI: 1.27–2.60; P = 0.001). ConclusionsOlder age, BMI, preoperative APTT, D-dimer, tumor histology, and surgery duration independently increased the risk of developing postoperative DVT/PE. These findings provide prognostic information that will guide therapies aimed at minimizing the development of DVT/PE during hospitalization.

Comorbid depression associated with non-routine discharge following craniotomy for low-grade gliomas and benign tumors - a nationwide readmission database analysis.

Prior studies have demonstrated elevated rates of depression in patients with malignant brain tumor; however, the prevalence and effect on surgical outcomes in patients with low-grade gliomas (LGG) and benign brain tumors (BBT) remain unknown. Readmission and non-routine discharge, which includes discharge to skilled nursing, rehabilitative, and other inpatient facilities, are well-established quality of care indicators. We sought to analyze the association between comorbid depression and non-routine discharge, readmission, and other post-operative inpatient outcomes in patients with LGG and BBT. The Nationwide Readmissions Database from 2010 to 2014 was retrospectively queried to select for surgically treated patients with LGG and BBT. Multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for patient and hospital characteristics were used to determine the effects of comorbid depression on post-operative outcomes. Interaction of gender and depression on non-routine disposition was analyzed. We identified 31,654 craniotomies for resection of BBT and LGG (2010-2014). The majority of patients (64.1%) were female. The rate of depression comorbid with BBT and LGG was 11.9%. Depression was associated with non-routine discharge after surgery (OR 1.19, p 0.0002*), but was not associated with increased morbidity, mortality, or readmission at 30 or 90days. The rate of comorbid depression was higher among female than male patients (14.0 vs. 8.0%). Depression in males was associated with a 38% increased likelihood of non-routine disposition (p = 0.0002*), while depression in females was associated with a 13% increased likelihood of non-routine disposition (p = 0.03*). Depression is prevalent in patients with LGG and BBT and is associated with increased risk of non-routine discharge following surgical intervention. The increased likelihood of non-routine disposition is greater for males than that for females. Awareness of the risk factors for depression may aid in early screening and intervention and improve overall patient outcomes.

Reducing the burden of brain tumor surgery

BackgroundEven though the need has been challenged, admitting patients to an intensive care or medium care unit (ICU/MCU) after adult supratentorial tumor craniotomy remains common practice. We have introduced a “no ICU, unless” policy for tumor craniotomy patients and evaluate costs, complications, and length of stay.MethodsA prospective cohort study was performed comparing patients that underwent tumor craniotomy for supratentorial tumors during 2 years after introduction of the new policy with the year before.ResultsA reduction in ICU/MCU admittance from 88 to 23% of patients was found resulting in 13% cost reduction. Also, the new policy resulted in a 1.4-day shorter post-operative length of stay. Minor complications were reduced, while major complications remained the same. All major complications are reviewed.ConclusionsWe show that routine post-operative ICU/MCU admittance after tumor craniotomy does not reduce complications, but actually interferes with recovery of our patients. Changing the paradigm results in earlier discharge and cost reduction.

Giant Olfactory Groove Meningioma in Pregnancy

Introduction: Meningioma is slow growing neoplasm cells that comes from arachnoid cap most common benign intracranial tumours. Olfactory groove meningiomas (OGM) account for 8–13% of all intracranial meningiomas. Intracranial tumors on pregnancy is a rare event, with few reports. Case Presentation: A 36-year-old- female (G11P9A1) 34 gestational week presented to the Adam Malik General Hospital with smelling disturbances for 6 months and lossing smelling sense in the past 1 month. Slowly progression of vision disturbances for 3 months without improvement in using glasses, progressive loss of vision in both eyes for the past 1 month. CT scan and MRI revealead a solid mass lesion, with 6.3 x 4.2 x 3.1 cm. It was a supratentorial in frontal region, olfactory groove mass. The Craniotomy tumor removal was performed in this patient. Discussion: Meningiomas are mostly silent brain tumors with slow growth, however may get detected and mostly become symptomatic during pregnancy and luteal phase of menstrual cycle due to increase in size secondary to either water retention, enhanced vascularity or progesterones are possible etiologies. The majority of meningiomas express progesterone reseptor, which can be detected also by immunohistochemistry. In fact, tumour growth when progesterone concentrations are higher, shows the role of sex hormones in the mechanism. Regardless of the status of pregnancy, symptomatic and large meningiomas require surgical resection. Conclusion: Changes of plasma concentration hormones during pregnancy and their effect on meningioma growth in the second and third trimester are crucial and critical. The management of brain lesions during pregnancy required professional collaboration between neurosurgeons, obstetricians and anesthesiologists.