Browsing by Author "Lam, Sandi K."

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    Editorial. Pediatric neurosurgery along with Children's Hospitals' innovations are rapid and uniform in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
    (American Association of Neurological Surgeons, 2020-04) Weiner, Howard L.; Adelson, P. David; Brockmeyer, Douglas L.; Maher, Cormac O.; Gupta, Nalin; Smyth, Matthew D.; Jea, Andrew; Blount, Jeffrey P.; Riva-Cambrin, Jay; Lam, Sandi K.; Ahn, Edward S.; Albert, Gregory W.; Leonard, Jeffrey R.; Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine
    The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented international crisis, with enormous health, economic, and social consequences, the likes of which have not been experienced in recent human history. The global medical community is facing historic practical and ethical challenges that require an urgent response. This situation has necessitated swift decision-making in the neurosurgery community. An inspiring and consistent message emerged from the resultant conversation, demonstrating our discipline’s response to this tragedy, which was strikingly rapid, uniform, and thoughtful across the many centers represented. Not surprisingly, pediatric neurosurgeons are able to lead their teams through this unprecedented time with creative decision-making and a razor-sharp focus on the health of both patients and colleagues. At the time of this writing, each center reported either no or only a small number of COVID-19–positive cases at their pediatric hospital, among either patients or staff, and a range of documented coronavirus community transmissions. Several notably consistent themes emerged from this exchange among the 13 members of the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics Editorial Board, the common concept being that decision-making remains dynamic and is modified as needed on a daily basis.
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    Measures of Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes in Pediatric Neurosurgery: Literature Review
    (Elsevier, 2019-02) Desai, Virendra R.; Gadgil, Nisha; Saad, Shahbaz; Raskin, Jeffrey S.; Lam, Sandi K.; Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine
    Background Improving value in healthcare means optimizing outcomes and minimizing costs. The emerging pay-for-performance era requires understanding of the effect of healthcare services on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Pediatric and surgical subspecialties have yet to fully integrate HRQoL measures into practice. The present study reviewed and characterized the HRQoL outcome measures across various pediatric neurosurgical diagnoses. Methods A literature review was performed by searching PubMed and Google Scholar with search terms such as “health-related quality of life” and “pediatric neurosurgery” and then including the specific pathologies for which a HRQoL instrument was found (e.g., “health-related quality of life” plus “epilepsy”). Each measurement was evaluated by content and purpose, relative strengths and weaknesses, and validity. Results We reviewed 68 reports. Epilepsy, brain tumor, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, hydrocephalus, and scoliosis were diagnoses found in reported studies that had used disease-specific HRQoL instruments. Information using general HRQoL instruments was also reported. Internal, test–retest, and/or interrater reliability varied across the instruments, as did face, content, concurrent, and/or construct validity. Few instruments were tested enough for robust reliability and validity. Significant variability was found in the usage of these instruments in clinical studies within pediatric neurosurgery. Conclusions The HRQoL instruments used in pediatric neurosurgery are currently without standardized guidelines and thus exhibit high variability in use. Clinicians should support the development and application of these methods to optimize these instruments, promote standardization of research, improve performance measures to reflect clinically modifiable and meaningful outcomes, and, ultimately, lead the national discussion in healthcare quality and patient-centered care.
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    Pediatric neurosurgery along with children’s hospitals’ innovations are rapid and uniform in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
    (AANS, 2020) Weiner, Howard L.; Adelson, P. David; Brockmeyer, Douglas L.; Maher, Cormac O.; Gupta, Nalin; Smyth, Matthew D.; Jea, Andrew; Blount, Jeffrey P.; Riva-Cambrin, Jay; Lam, Sandi K.; Ahn, Edward S.; Albert, Gregory W.; Leonard, Jeffrey R.; Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine
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    Standard work tools for dynamic stereoelectroencephalography using ROSA: naming convention and perioperative planning
    (JNS, 2021-04) Bakr, Salma M.; Patel, Ajay; Zaazoue, Mohamed A.; Wagner, Kathryn; Lam, Sandi K.; Curry, Daniel J.; Raskin, Jeffrey S.; Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine
    OBJECTIVE The grid-based orthogonal placement of depth electrodes (DEs), initially defined by Jean Talairach and Jean Bancaud, is known as stereo-electroencephalography (sEEG). Although acceptance in the United States was initially slow, advances in imaging and technology have spawned a proliferation of North American epilepsy centers offering sEEG. Despite publications highlighting minimal access techniques and varied indications, standard work for phase I targeted DE has not been defined. In this article, the authors propose the term “dynamic sEEG” and define standard work tools and related common data elements to promote uniformity in the field. METHODS A multidisciplinary approach from July to August 2016 resulted in the production of 4 standard work tools for dynamic sEEG using ROSA: 1) a 34-page illustrated manual depicting a detailed workflow; 2) a planning form to collocate all the phase I data; 3) a naming convention for DEs that encodes the data defining it; and 4) a reusable portable perioperative planning and documentation board. A retrospective review of sEEG case efficiency was performed comparing those using standard work tools (between July 2016 and April 2017) with historical controls (between March 2015 and June 2016). The standard work tools were then instituted at another epilepsy surgery center, and the results were recorded. RESULTS The process for dynamic sEEG was formally reviewed, including anesthesia, positioning, perioperative nursing guidelines, surgical steps, and postoperative care for the workflow using cranial fixation and ROSA-guided placement. There was a 40% improvement in time per electrode, from 44.7 ± 9.0 minutes to 26.9 ± 6.5 minutes (p = 0.0007) following the development and use of the manual, the naming convention, and the reusable portable perioperative planning and documentation board. This standardized protocol was implemented at another institution and yielded a time per electrode of 22.3 ± 4.4 minutes. CONCLUSIONS The authors propose the term dynamic sEEG for stereotactic depth electrodes placed according to phase I workup data with the intention of converting to ablation. This workflow efficiency can be optimized using the standard work tools presented. The authors also propose a novel naming convention that encodes critical data and allows portability among providers. Use of a planning form for common data elements optimizes research, and global adoption could facilitate multicenter studies correlating phase I modality and seizure onset zone identification.