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Background: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare cerebrovascular disorder marked by internal carotid artery narrowing, collateral neovascularization, and symptomatic cerebral ischemia. Select patients can benefit from direct bypass (superficial temporal artery [STA]-proximal middle [MCA] bypass) by restoring blood flow to hypoperfused territories. Symptomatic contralateral stroke (CS) following STA-MCA bypass is a devastating, poorly understood complication. We investigate clinical and radiographic risk factors influencing CS incidence after bypass surgery., Methods: A retrospective review of patients with bilateral MMD undergoing STA-MCA bypass at our institution (2018-2022) included demographic details, comorbidities, average preoperative systolic blood pressure (SBP), postoperative SBP goals, and angiographic patterns. Preoperative diagnostic angiograms were analyzed for collateral vascular patterns. Postoperative clinical course was recorded. Statistical analyses employed parametric and nonparametric tests for small sample size., Results: Six of 39 patients (15.4%) experienced CS postbypass. No baseline demographic differences were identified between patients with and without CS. CS patients had higher preoperative SBP (146.2 vs. 131.1, P < 0.05), were more likely to have postoperative SBP goals below their average preoperative SBP (66.7% vs. 15.2%, P = 0.018) and had longer time from symptom onset to surgery (51.8 vs. 13 months, P = 0.039). There were no differences in specific angiographic patterns in either hemisphere for patients with CS versus those without CS though overall contralateral Suzuki grade was higher in patients with CS (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Patients with CS following bypass had significantly higher preoperative SBP, postoperative SBP goals below their average preoperative SBP, and longer time from symptom onset to surgery compared to patients without CS. Patient-specific postoperative SBP management and timely surgical revascularization are crucial for preventing CS in patients with MMD undergoing STA-MCA bypass., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To identify LGBTQ+ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) publications and contextualize the current frequency of the literature across subspecialty surgical fields., Methods: A PRISMA systematic review using PubMed, MEDLINE, and Web of Science was conducted in April 2024. The main inclusion criterion was intrafield DEI content for defined subspecialties; exclusion criteria were foreign language, poor methodology, and duplicates. The primary endpoint was the number of publications across subspecialties. Secondary endpoints included publication dates, study design, and sample size., Results: Of the 702 articles identified, 27 were included in the analysis. Neurologic surgery had 2 studies; plastic surgery, 11 studies; orthopedic surgery, 7 studies; otolaryngology, 5 studies; and thoracic surgery, 2 studies. There was a statistically significant different frequency of publications across subspecialties (P = 0.031). Post hoc residual analysis indicated that neurosurgery and thoracic surgery had statistically fewer publications, while plastic surgery had statistically more publications (P = 0.04, 0.002, 0.21, 0.42, and 0.04 for neurologic surgery, plastic surgery, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, and thoracic surgery, respectively). Secondary outcomes found a majority of publications between 2022 and 2024. Study methodologies involved cross-sectional studies, editorials, and retrospective reviews (14, 11, and 3 respectively) and had a median sample size of 248.5., Conclusions: This systematic review provides objective data to contextualize DEI literature across surgical subspecialties. Overall, this review highlights the lack of LGBTQ+ DEI literature in neurosurgery and advocates for correcting this gap for the benefit of both surgeons and patients. Understanding the current numbers and evaluating progress in other surgical fields might provide solutions., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is a controversy on the effectiveness of post-operating splinting in patients with carpal tunnel release (CTR) surgery. This study aimed to systematically evaluate various outcomes regarding the effectiveness of post-operating splinting in CTR surgery., Methods: Multiple databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Cochrane, were searched for terms related to carpal tunnel syndrome. A total of eight studies involving 596 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The quality of studies was evaluated, and their risk of bias was calculated using the methodological index for non-randomized studies (MINORS) and Cochrane's collaboration tool for assessing the risk of bias in randomized controlled trials. Data including the visual analogue scale (VAS), pinch strength, grip strength, two-point discrimination, symptom severity score (SSS), and functional status scale (FSS) were extracted., Results: Our analysis showed no significant differences between the splinted and non-splinted groups based on the VAS, SSS, FSS, grip strength, pinch strength, and two-point discrimination. The calculated values of the standardized mean difference (SMD) or the weighted mean difference (WMD) and a 95% confidence interval (CI) for different variables were as follows: VAS [SMD = 0.004, 95% CI (-0.214, 0.222)], pinch strength [WMD = 1.061, 95% CI (-0.559, 2.681)], grip strength [SMD = 0.178, 95% CI (-0.014, 0.369)], SSS [WMD = 0.026, 95% CI (- 0.191, 0.242)], FSS [SMD = 0.089, 95% CI (-0.092, 0.269)], and the two-point discrimination [SMD = 0.557, 95% CI (-0.140, 1.253)]., Conclusions: Our findings revealed no statistically significant differences between the splinted and non-splinted groups in terms of the VAS, SSS, FSS, grip strength, pinch strength, and two-point discrimination. These results indicate that there is no substantial evidence supporting a significant advantage of post-operative splinting after CTR., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the diversity of neurosurgeons in terms of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ+) gender and sexual minority status using the Graduation Questionnaire (GQ) as the single nationalized source of LGBTQ+ identification. Additionally, inclusivity was assessed through interviews by residents and attendings in the field., Methods: First, a PRISMA literature review was conducted and independently reviewed by two authors on studies involving LGBTQ+ representation in neurosurgery from PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Then, aggregate responses of 16,901 participants' sexual and gender identities from the GQ administered between 2016 and 2022 were compiled. To statistically analyze the response frequencies, the authors performed a chi-square analysis. Finally, interviews were conducted with individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ and are currently neurosurgical residents or attendings. Direct invitations were extended to participate in interviews, and all participants gave informed consent prior to the interview. Interviews were conducted using standardized questions and were video recorded., Results: Two studies were identified by literature review that referenced the LGBTQ+ community in neurosurgery. A GQ chi-square analysis comparing neurosurgical with nonneurosurgical LGBTQ+ identification proved statistically insignificant (p = 0.65). More broad analysis of majority sexual and gender identification (heterosexual and cisgendered) compared with the total gender and sexual minority group also proved statistically insignificant (p = 0.32) in response frequency. Five interviews, including 4 residents and 1 attending, provided several overarching themes including self-identification as an invisible minority, self-limiting behavior to ensure inclusion, and LGBTQ+ status as a direct departure from the stereotypical neurosurgeon., Conclusions: Results from the GQ analysis indicate that neurosurgery is achieving LGBTQ+ diversity of its incoming members comparable to that of other fields in medicine. However, qualitative data from the interviews and a lack of specific literature indicate that despite obtaining diversity, inclusion of LGBTQ+ neurosurgeons and trainees is lacking.