• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제54권3호
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• pp.225-231
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• 2013

Objective : Spinal dysraphism defects span wide spectrum. Wound dehiscence is a common postoperative complication, and is a challenge in the current management of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks and wound healing. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the risks of CSF-related morbidity in the surgical treatment of spinal dysraphism. Methods : Ten patients with spinal dysraphism were included in this retrospective study. The median age of the cohort was 4.8 months. To assess the risk of CSF morbidity, we measured the skin lesion area and the percentage of the skin lesion area relative to the back surface for each patient. We then analyzed the relationship between morbidity and the measured skin lesion area or related factors. Results : The overall median skin lesion area was 36.2 $cm^2$ (n=10). The percentage of the skin lesion area relative to the back surface ranged from 0.6% to 18.1%. During surgical reconstruction, 4 patients required subsequent operations to repair CSF morbidity. The comparison of the mean area of skin lesions between the CSF morbidity group and the non-CSF morbidity group was statistically significant (average volume skin lesion of $64.4{\pm}32.5cm^2$ versus $27.7{\pm}27.8cm^2$, p<0.05). CSF morbidity tended to occur either when the skin lesion area was up to 44.2 $cm^2$ or there was preexisting fibrosis before revision with an accompanying broad-based dural defect. Conclusion : Measuring the lesion area, including the skin, dura, and related surgical parameters, offers useful information for predicting wound challenges and selecting appropriate reconstructive surgery methods.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제64권5호
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• pp.799-807
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• 2021

Objective : Cerebrospinal fluid leakage related complications (CLC) occasionally occur after intradural spinal surgery. We sought to investigate the effectiveness of early ambulation after intradural spinal surgery and analyze the risk factors for CLC. Methods : For this retrospective cohort study, we enrolled 314 patients who underwent intradural spinal surgery at a single institution. The early group contained 79 patients who started ambulation after 1 day of bedrest without position restrictions, while the late group consisted of 235 patients who started ambulation after at least 3 days of bed rest and were limited to the prone position after surgery. In the early group, Prolene 6-0 was used as the dura suture material, while black silk 5-0 was used as the dura suture material in the late group. Results : The overall incidence rate of CLC was 10.8%. Significant differences between the early and late groups were identified in the rate of CLC (2.5% vs. 13.6%), surgical repair required (1.3% vs. 7.7%), and length of hospital stay (2.99 vs. 9.29 days) (p<0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that CLC was associated with practices specific to the late group (p=0.011) and the revision surgery (p=0.022). Conclusion : Using Prolene 6-0 as a dura suture material for intradural spinal surgery resulted in lower CLC rates compared to black silk 5-0 sutures despite a shorter bed rest period. Our findings revealed that suture - needle ratio related to dura defect was the most critical factor for CLC. One-day ambulation after primary dura closure using Prolene 6-0 sutures appears to be a costeffective and safe strategy for intradural spinal surgery.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• 제49권2호
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• pp.174-183
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• 2022

Management of traumatic skull base fractures and associated complications pose a unique reconstructive challenge. The goals of skull base reconstruction include structural support for the brain and orbit, separation of the central nervous system from the aerodigestive tract, volume to decrease dead space, and restoration of the three-dimensional appearance of the face and cranium with bone and soft tissues. An open bicoronal approach is the most commonly used technique for craniofacial disassembly of the bifrontal region, with evacuation of intracranial hemorrhage and dural repair performed prior to reconstruction. Depending on the defect size and underlying patient and operative factors, reconstruction may involve bony reconstruction using autografts, allografts, or prosthetics in addition to soft tissue reconstruction using vascularized local or distant tissues. The vast majority of traumatic anterior cranial fossa (ACF) injuries resulting in smaller defects of the cranial base itself can be successfully reconstructed using local pedicled pericranial or galeal flaps. Compared with historical nonvascularized ACF reconstructive options, vascularized reconstruction using pericranial and/or galeal flaps has decreased the rate of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak from 25 to 6.5%. We review the existing literature on this uncommon entity and present our case series of n = 6 patients undergoing traumatic reconstruction of the ACF at an urban Level 1 trauma center from 2016 to 2018. There were no postoperative CSF leaks, mucoceles, episodes of meningitis, or deaths during the study follow-up period. In conclusion, use of pericranial, galeal, and free flaps, as indicated, can provide reliable and durable reconstruction of a wide variety of injuries.