The interpeduncular fossa approach for resection of ventromedial midbrain lesions
Written by Dom Mahoney, MS
The complex anatomy of the brainstem, and the presence of important structures in close proximity to one another, mean that operating on lesions in this location provides a particular challenge to neurosurgeons. The anterior mesencephalic (or perioculomotor) entry zone has previously been described in surgery for lesions of the midbrain. The perioculomotor entry zone lies between the PCA and SCA, and in the medial fifth of the cerebral peduncle lateral to the oculomotor nerve. The authors of this article describe an approach through the interpeduncular fossa for tackling more medial lesions in this area.
Dr. Angelos Kolias and Dr. Amro Al-Habib will hold the first online survey to explore the current education status and needs for young neurosurgeons around the world.
Vascular Emergency Courses for underprivileged countries
Written by UpSurgeOn Team
A series of web courses focused on Vascular Emergencies in countries with limited facilities. Dr. Hosam Al-Jehani and Dr. Ihsan Dogan will hold these events to focus on Global Neurosurgery issues.
There is a growing interest on digital support to surgical education. Dr. Angelos Kolias, Cambridge University, will give an overview of online education sources available for neurosurgical trainees worldwide.
Annual Postgraduate Course (11th cycle – 1st year) of the European Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ESPN)
Written by Anatoli Dimitrov
Dates: June 11 – 16, 2018
Location: Montegrotto Terme, Italy
The ESPN Annual Postgraduate Course in Pediatric Neurosurgery is the main vehicle of the Society to address and educate the next generation of professionals in this subspecialty. The ESPN training courses are internationally acclaimed for the high scientific level, an informal atmosphere that facilitates and enhances the interaction between faculty members and trainees, and represent a unique opportunity to meet peers in the field of Pediatric Neurosurgery. This year’s topics will include hydrocephalus, intracranial cysts, posterior fossa tumors and head and spine trauma. In keeping with the ESPN legacy, a distinguished panel of faculty members from all over the world will share their expertise throughout formal lectures, hands-on workshops, “solve a case” and video sessions.
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Author:
G. Cinalli, W.J. Maixner, C. Sainte-Rose
Editor:
Springer
Publication date:
2005
Description:
Pediatric hydrocephalus, the most common pathology which pediatric neurosurgeons face, has undergone an important evolution in recent years. This is especially true from the point of view of the diagnostic and therapeutic approach, and for improvements in imaging and endoscopy.
This book offers a detailed view of all progress made recently in this field, from advances in understanding the pathophysiological basis, to the management of paediatric hydrocephalus.
This book is definitely a recommended reading not only for neurosurgeons, but for all specialists who are confronted daily with this pathology in all its aspects, as endocrinologists, geneticists, pediatricians, radiologists or pathologists.
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The durability of endoscopic third ventriculostomy and ventriculoperitoneal shunts in children with hydrocephalus following posterior fossa tumor resection: a systematic review and time-to-failure analysis
Written by Dom Mahoney, MS
According to the authors of this study, approximately one third of patients with tumours residing in the posterior fossa will develop hydrocephalus. In spite of this significant clinical problem, little research has previously been done to elucidate the optimal treatment modality to address the hydrocephalus in these patients. The authors of the current study aimed to compare durability of CSF diversion in patients managed with endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) compared to ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS). A systematic review was performed including 12 studies - a cumulative sample of 408 patients. In conclusion, the authors found that ETV failed sooner than VPS; however, ETV may impart a greater treatment durability in the longer term. There were fewer complications in the ETV group. More prospective data is required to establish which of these two methods is superior in patients with hydrocephalus due to a posterior fossa mass, and what predictive factors may exist to identify patients that would benefit from a particular intervention more than another.
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Endovascular Neurosurgery Through Clinical Cases
Written by Edoardo Agosti, MS
Author:
Mitsos A. P.
Editor:
Springer
Publication date:
2015
Description:
Neuroendovascular surgery became established in the 2000s, first accompanying, and then overtaking, several traditional open neurosurgical techniques. In this book, through the description of clinical cases, the various principles of neuroendovascular surgery are presented. From the pathophysiology of vascular lesions in the brain and spine, to their management, methods and outcomes.
The main pathologies treated are ruptured and unruptured cerebral aneurysms, side-wall and bifurcation aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, dural arteriovenous fistulae and arterial stenosis. Two introductory chapters relating to the central nervous system vascular embryology and anatomy are also included. Endovascular Neurosurgery Through Clinical Cases is a fundamental reading for neurosurgeons, interventional neuroradiologists, and all professionals involved in the management of the neuroendovascular pathologies
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8th Annual EANS Young Neurosurgeons' Meeting joint with the WFNS Young Neurosurgeons Forum & EANS Research Course
Written by Anatoli Dimitrov
Dates: March 22 – 24, 2018
Location: Oxford, United Kingdom
This year EANS Young Neurosurgeons’ Meeting will take place in cooperation with the WFNS Young Neurosurgeons Forum and will focus on neuro-oncology. The EANS Research Committee have also organized the EANS Research Course which will immediately precede the meeting. This meeting is aimed at those between the latter years of their neurosurgical training and the early years of consultancy. It is an educational meeting with a strong faculty-to- participant ratio, and provides unique networking opportunities. The EANS believes that creating a community of young neurosurgeons for young neurosurgeons is of crucial importance – not just for the wider neurosurgical community, but also for the future leadership of the EANS itself. YN Meetings provide a unique chance to interact with the faculty as equals, to ask probing questions, and to participate in lively debate about neurosurgical controversies. They are also the ideal place to bring your own cases for second opinions, reviews, help, and honest discussion.
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Internal carotid artery bifurcation aneurysms: microsurgical strategies and operative nuances for different aneurysmal directions
Written by Dom Mahoney, MS
Internal carotid artery bifurcation aneurysms (ICAbifAs) make up approximately 5% of all intracranial aneurysms, tending to present in younger patients. They often reside in close proximity to the anteromedial and anterolateral perforators, inhibiting simple dissection, and may become intimately associated with the parenchyma of the frontal lobe. The authors present a review of 51 patients with ICAbifAs, 40 of whom underwent surgical clipping. They propose a simple classification system for these aneurysms based on the direction in which they deviate.
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XXIII Congress of the European Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (ESSFN)
Written by Anatoli Dimitrov
Dates: September 26 – 29, 2018
Location: The Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, Scotland
The 2018 congress will be the first ESSFN meeting jointly organised by neurosurgeons and psychiatrists. Hence, one of the main meeting topics will be neurosurgical approaches for psychiatric disorders. Leading neuroscientists, psychiatrists and neurosurgeons will be invited to discuss and debate the place of surgery in the treatment of depression, OCD, Tourette’s syndrome and other mental disorders.
Pain, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders will also be major topics with discussion of the latest advances in the field.
The year 2018 marks the 110th anniversary of Victor Horsley´s and Robert Henry Clarke’s publication on the stereotaxic method, and the 25th anniversary of STN DBS. It also marks the 50th anniversary of the famous Parkinson's Disease Symposium at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, organised by John Gillingham, one of the pioneers of British Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, and co-founder of the ESSFN in 1970.
Editor:
Thieme
Publication date:
November 2008
Description:
This book offers step-by-step guidance on the latest techniques for the management of movement disorders, epilepsy and pain. The underlying physiological and pathological principles are explained, as are current surgical procedures and the management of postoperative complications. This book also includes discussions of contemporary topics such as radiosurgery for movement disorders, cortex stimulation for neuropathic pain and novel technical approaches for the insertion of deep brain stimulator electrodes.
Link: http://www.thieme.com/books-main/neurosurgery/product/713-functional-neurosurgery
The emerging role of transcranial magnetic resonance imaging-guided focused ultrasound in functional neurosurgery
Written by Dom Mahoney, MS
The technique of transcranial focused ultrasound has emerged as a potentially revolutionary tool in functional neurosurgery. This platform provides a method of ablating specific voxels of brain tissue without surgery. Ablative techniques suffer the disadvantage when compared to neuromodulatory interventions of being largely irreversible. However, as both our understanding of neurology and the technology we have access to improves, minimally invasive techniques such as focused ultrasound will undoubtedly become safer and evolve to play a significant role in the future of functional neurosurgery. In this review, the authors summarise the application of the technique to various common movement disorders.
The Chordoma Foundation is a nonprofit organization that aim to improve the lives of chordoma patients through the cooperation of researchers and clinicians. The website presents three different sections: one for patients and the other two for researchers and healthcare professionals. The aim of these latter sections is to help clinicians most effectively treat chordoma and contribute to advance chordoma research. In fact, there are multiple sections about, for example, responses to systemic treatments, clinical trials and the chordoma genome project.
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