Browsing by Author "Barbaro, Nicholas M."
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Item External cortical landmarks for localization of the hippocampus: Application for temporal lobectomy and amygdalohippocampectomy(Scientific Scholar, 2018-08-22) Tubbs, R. Shane; Loukas, Marios; Barbaro, Nicholas M.; Shah, Kushal J.; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A.; Neurological Surgery, School of MedicineBackground: Accessing the hippocampus for amygdalohippocampectomy and minimally invasive procedures, such as depth electrode placement, require an accurate knowledge regarding the location of the hippocampus. Methods: The authors removed 10 human cadaveric brains from the cranium and observed the relationships between the lateral temporal neocortex and the underlying hippocampus. They then measured the distance between the hippocampus and superficial landmarks. The authors also validated their study using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 10 patients suffering from medial temporal lobe sclerosis where the distance from the hippocampal head to the anterior temporal tip was measured. Results: In general, the length of the hippocampus was along the inferior temporal sulcus and inferior aspect of the middle temporal gyrus. Although the hippocampus tended to be more superiorly located in female specimens and on the left side, this did not reach statistical significance. The length of the hippocampus tended to be shorter in females, but this too failed to reach statistical significance. The mean distance from the anterior temporal tip to the hippocampal head was identical in the cadavers and MRIs of patients with medial temporal lobe sclerosis. Conclusions: Additional landmarks for localizing the underlying hippocampus may be helpful in temporal lobe surgery. Based on this study, there are relatively constant anatomical landmarks between the hippocampus and overlying temporal cortex. Such landmarks may be used in localizing the hippocampus during amygdalohippocampectomy and depth electrode implantation in verifying the accuracy of image-guided methods and as adjuvant methodologies when these latter technologies are not used or are unavailable.Item Hospital Length of Stay and Readmission Rate for Neurosurgical Patients(Oxford, 2018-02) Ansari, Shaheryar F.; Yan, Hong; Zou, Jian; Worth, Robert M.; Barbaro, Nicholas M.; Neurological Surgery, School of MedicineBACKGROUND Hospital readmission rate has become a major indicator of quality of care, with penalties given to hospitals with high rates of readmission. At the same time, insurers are increasing pressure for greater efficiency and reduced costs, including decreasing hospital lengths of stay (LOS). OBJECTIVE To analyze the authors’ service to determine if there is a relationship between LOS and readmission rates. METHODS Records of patients admitted to the authors’ institution from October 2007 through June 2014 were analyzed for several data points, including initial LOS, readmission occurrence, admitting and secondary diagnoses, and discharge disposition. RESULTS Out of 9409 patient encounters, there were 925 readmissions. Average LOS was 6 d. Univariate analysis indicated a higher readmission rate with more diagnoses upon admission (P < .001) and an association between insurance type and readmission (P < .001), as well as decreasing average yearly LOS (P = .0045). Multivariate analysis indicated statistically significant associations between longer LOS (P = .03) and government insurance (P < .01). CONCLUSION A decreasing LOS over time has been associated with an increasing readmission rate at the population level. However, at the individual level, a prolonged LOS was associated with a higher risk of readmission. This was attributed to patient comorbidities. However, this increasing readmission rate may represent many factors including patients’ overall health status. Thus, the rate of readmission may represent a burden of illness rather than a valid metric for quality of care.Item Impact of the 2006 Massachusetts health care insurance reform on neurosurgical procedures and patient insurance status(2017-01) Villeli, Nicolas W.; Das, Rohit; Yan, Hong; Huff, Wei; Zou, Jian; Barbaro, Nicholas M.; Neurological Surgery, School of MedicineOBJECTIVE The Massachusetts health care insurance reform law passed in 2006 has many similarities to the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). To address concerns that the ACA might negatively impact case volume and reimbursement for physicians, the authors analyzed trends in the number of neurosurgical procedures by type and patient insurance status in Massachusetts before and after the implementation of the state's health care insurance reform. The results can provide insight into the future of neurosurgery in the American health care system. METHODS The authors analyzed data from the Massachusetts State Inpatient Database on patients who underwent neurosurgical procedures in Massachusetts from 2001 through 2012. These data included patients' insurance status (insured or uninsured) and the numbers of procedures performed classified by neurosurgical procedural codes of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM). Each neurosurgical procedure was grouped into 1 of 4 categories based on ICD-9-CM codes: 1) tumor, 2) other cranial/vascular, 3) shunts, and 4) spine. Comparisons were performed of the numbers of procedures performed and uninsured patients, before and after the implementation of the reform law. Data from the state of New York were used as a control. All data were controlled for population differences. RESULTS After 2008, there were declines in the numbers of uninsured patients who underwent neurosurgical procedures in Massachusetts in all 4 categories. The number of procedures performed for tumor and spine were unchanged, whereas other cranial/vascular procedures increased. Shunt procedures decreased after implementation of the reform law but exhibited a similar trend to the control group. In New York, the number of spine surgeries increased, as did the percentage of procedures performed on uninsured patients. Other cranial/vascular procedures decreased. CONCLUSIONS After the Massachusetts health care insurance reform, the number of uninsured individuals undergoing neurosurgical procedures significantly decreased for all categories, but more importantly, the total number of surgeries performed did not change dramatically. To the extent that trends in Massachusetts can predict the overall US experience, we can expect that some aspects of reimbursement may be positively impacted by the ACA. Neurosurgeons, who often treat patients with urgent conditions, may be affected differently than other specialists.Item The Impact of the 2006 Massachusetts Healthcare Reform on Spine Surgery Patient Payer-Mix and Age(AANS, 2017-12) Villelli, Nicolas W.; Yan, Hong; Zou, Jian; Barbaro, Nicholas M.; Neurological Surgery, School of MedicineOBJECTIVE Several similarities exist between the Massachusetts health care reform law of 2006 and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The authors’ prior neurosurgical research showed a decrease in uninsured surgeries without a significant change in surgical volume after the Massachusetts reform. An analysis of the payer-mix status and the age of spine surgery patients, before and after the policy, should provide insight into the future impact of the ACA on spine surgery in the US. METHODS Using the Massachusetts State Inpatient Database and spine ICD-9-CM procedure codes, the authors obtained demographic information on patients undergoing spine surgery between 2001 and 2012. Payer-mix status was assigned as Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, uninsured, or other, which included government-funded programs and workers’ compensation. A comparison of the payer-mix status and patient age, both before and after the policy, was performed. The New York State data were used as a control. RESULTS The authors analyzed 81,821 spine surgeries performed in Massachusetts and 248,757 in New York. After 2008, there was a decrease in uninsured and private insurance spine surgeries, with a subsequent increase in the Medicare and “other” categories for Massachusetts. Medicaid case numbers did not change. This correlated to an increase in surgeries performed in the age group of patients 65–84 years old, with a decrease in surgeries for those 18–44 years old. New York showed an increase in all insurance categories and all adult age groups. CONCLUSIONS After the Massachusetts reform, spine surgery decreased in private insurance and uninsured categories, with the majority of these surgeries transitioning to Medicare. Moreover, individuals who were younger than 65 years did not show an increase in spine surgeries, despite having greater access to health insurance. In a health care system that requires insurance, the decrease in private insurance is primarily due to an increasing elderly population. The Massachusetts model continues to show that this type of policy is not causing extreme shifts in the payer mix, and suggests that spine surgery will continue to thrive in the current US health care system.Item Molecular Classification of Gliomas is Associated with Seizure Control: A Retrospective Analysis(Springer, 2021) Easwaran, Teresa P.; Lancki, Nicola; Henriquez, Mario; Vortmeyer, Alexander O.; Barbaro, Nicholas M.; Scholtens, Denise M.; Ahmed, Atique U.; Dey, Mahua; Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of MedicineClassically, histologic grading of gliomas has been used to predict seizure association, with low-grade gliomas associated with an increased incidence of seizures compared to high-grade gliomas. In 2016, WHO reclassified gliomas based on histology and molecular characteristics. We sought to determine whether molecular classification of gliomas is associated with preoperative seizure presentation and/or post-operative seizure control across multiple glioma subtypes. All gliomas operated at our institution from 2007 to 2017 were identified based on ICD 9 and 10 billing codes and were retrospectively assessed for molecular classification of the IDH1 mutation, and 1p/19q codeletion. Logistic regression models were performed to assess associations of seizures at presentation as well as post-operative seizures with IDH status and the new WHO integrated classification. Our study included 376 patients: 82 IDH mutant and 294 IDH wildtype. The presence of IDH mutation was associated with seizures at presentation [OR 3.135 (1.818-5.404), p < 0.001]. IDH-mutant glioblastomas presented with seizures less often than other IDH-mutant glioma subtypes grade II and III [OR 0.104 (0.032-0.340), p < 0.001]. IDH-mutant tumors were associated with worse post-operative seizure outcomes, demonstrated by Engel Class [OR 2.666 (1.592-4.464), p < 0.001]. IDH mutation in gliomas is associated with an increased risk of seizure development and worse post-operative seizure control, in all grades except for GBM.Item A novel method for sciatic nerve decompression: Cadaveric feasibility study with potential application to patients with piriformis syndrome(Elsevier, 2015-12) Tubbs, Richard Isaiah; Barton, James C., III; Watson, Caroline C.; Kollias, Theofanis; Ward, Robert J.; Loukas, Marios; Barbaro, Nicholas M.; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A.; Department of Neurological Surgery, IU School of MedicineIntroduction Approaches for proximal sciatic nerve decompression use a transgluteal route, but are associated with morbidity and complications. An alternative anterior approach to the sciatic nerve was designed. Methods Five adult human cadavers (10 sides) were used. In the supine position and with lower limbs abducted, an incision was made 3-cm inferolateral to the pubic tubercle of each specimen. With blunt dissection, a muscle-splitting approach through the obturator foramen was performed through the underlying adductor muscles and deeper obturator muscles that traversed the obturator foramen. Within the pelvis, a laparoscope was inserted in the surgical corridor, which was extraperitoneal. The obturator neurovascular bundle was identified medially and followed posterolaterally toward the greater sciatic foramen. The sciatic nerve was identified. The piriformis muscle was identified as it exited the greater sciatic foramen. Microscissors were inserted and under visualization with the laparoscope, the piriformis muscle was transected near the spine. Results The piriformis was well visualized and transected. The muscle was best visualized inferolateral to the sciatic nerve. No gross damage to the sciatic nerve or surrounding neurovascular structures occurred. Mean distance from the superomedial edge of the obturator foramen to the ischial spine was 7.2 cm for left sides and 7.3 cm for right sides. Conclusions Use of a laparoscope to approach the piriformis muscle from an anterior intrapelvic, extraperitoneal approach via the obturator foramen is feasible. Clinical use of this method is in order to demonstrate use in patients with suspected compression of the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle.Item Prospective comparison of long-term pain relief rates after first-time microvascular decompression and stereotactic radiosurgery for trigeminal neuralgia(AANS, 2018-01) Wang, Doris D.; Raygor, Kunal P.; Cage, Tene A.; Ward, Mariann M.; Westcott, Sarah; Barbaro, Nicholas M.; Chang, Edward F.; Neurological Surgery, School of MedicineOBJECTIVE Common surgical treatments for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) include microvascular decompression (MVD), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), and radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Although the efficacy of each procedure has been described, few studies have directly compared these treatment modalities on pain control for TN. Using a large prospective longitudinal database, the authors aimed to 1) directly compare long-term pain control rates for first-time surgical treatments for idiopathic TN, and 2) identify predictors of pain control. METHODS The authors reviewed a prospectively collected database for all patients who underwent treatment for TN between 1997 and 2014 at the University of California, San Francisco. Standardized collection of data on preoperative clinical characteristics, surgical procedure, and postoperative outcomes was performed. Data analyses were limited to those patients who received a first-time procedure for treatment of idiopathic TN with > 1 year of follow-up. RESULTS Of 764 surgical procedures performed at the University of California, San Francisco, for TN (364 SRS, 316 MVD, and 84 RFA), 340 patients underwent first-time treatment for idiopathic TN (164 MVD, 168 SRS, and 8 RFA) and had > 1 year of follow-up. The analysis was restricted to patients who underwent MVD or SRS. Patients who received MVD were younger than those who underwent SRS (median age 63 vs 72 years, respectively; p < 0.001). The mean follow-up was 59 ± 35 months for MVD and 59 ± 45 months for SRS. Approximately 38% of patients who underwent MVD or SRS had > 5 years of follow-up (60 of 164 and 64 of 168 patients, respectively). Immediate or short-term (< 3 months) postoperative pain-free rates (Barrow Neurological Institute Pain Intensity score of I) were 96% for MVD and 75% for SRS. Percentages of patients with Barrow Neurological Institute Pain Intensity score of I at 1, 5, and 10 years after MVD were 83%, 61%, and 44%, and the corresponding percentages after SRS were 71%, 47%, and 27%, respectively. The median time to pain recurrence was 94 months (25th–75th quartiles: 57–131 months) for MVD and 53 months (25th–75th quartiles: 37–69 months) for SRS (p = 0.006). A subset of patients who had MVD also underwent partial sensory rhizotomy, usually in the setting of insignificant vascular compression. Compared with MVD alone, those who underwent MVD plus partial sensory rhizotomy had shorter pain-free intervals (median 45 months vs no median reached; p = 0.022). Multivariable regression demonstrated that shorter preoperative symptom duration (HR 1.005, 95% CI 1.001–1.008; p = 0.006) was associated with favorable outcome for MVD and that post-SRS sensory changes (HR 0.392, 95% CI 0.213–0.723; p = 0.003) were associated with favorable outcome for SRS. CONCLUSIONS In this longitudinal study, patients who received MVD had longer pain-free intervals compared with those who underwent SRS. For patients who received SRS, postoperative sensory change was predictive of favorable outcome. However, surgical decision making depends upon many factors. This information can help physicians counsel patients with idiopathic TN on treatment selection.Item Radiosurgery for Medial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Resulting from Mesial Temporal Sclerosis(Elsevier, 2016-01) Gianaris, Thomas; Witt, Thomas; Barbaro, Nicholas M.; Department of Neurology, IU School of MedicineItem Superficial cortical landmarks for localization of the hippocampus: Application for temporal lobectomy and amygdalohippocampectomy(Wolters Kluwer, 2015-02-03) Tubbs, R. Shane; Loukas, Marios; Barbaro, Nicholas M.; Cohen-Gadol, Aaron A.; Department of Neurological Surgery, IU School of MedicineBACKGROUND: Accessing the hippocampus for amygdalohippocampectomy and procedures such as depth electrode placement requires accurate knowledge regarding the location of the hippocampus. METHODS: The authors removed 10 human cadaveric brains (20 sides) from their crania, noted relationships between the lateral temporal neocortex and underlying hippocampus, and measured the distance between the hippocampus and superficial landmarks. RESULTS: Mean distances were as follows: 3.8 cm from the tip of the temporal lobe to the head of the hippocampus; 6.5 cm from the tip of the temporal lobe to the junction of the fornix and hippocampus; and 3.5 cm between the tail and head of the hippocampus. The head of the hippocampus ranged from 0 to 5 mm inferior to the inferior temporal sulcus. The tail of the hippocampus ranged from 2.2 to 7 mm superior to the inferior temporal sulcus. In two specimens, the tail was deep to the superior temporal sulcus. Generally the length of the hippocampus was along the inferior temporal sulcus and inferior aspect of the middle temporal gyrus. The hippocampus tended to be more superiorly located and shorter in females and left sides, but this was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Additional landmarks for localizing the underlying hippocampus may be helpful in temporal lobe surgery. Our study showed relatively constant anatomic landmarks between the hippocampus and overlying temporal cortex that may help localize the hippocampus during amygdalohippocampectomy and depth electrode implantation, verify the accuracy of image-guided methods, and used as adjuvant methodologies when these latter technologies are unavailable.