Neurosurgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center: 1956–2020

The history of neurosurgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, is reviewed. Kemp Clark, MD, started the academic neurosurgical practice at Parkland Hospital in 1956. Clark developed a robust training program that required the resident to operate early. In 1972, the Dallas Veterans Affairs Hospital was added to the training program. Duke Samson, MD, became chair in 1988. He emphasized technical excellence and honest reporting of surgical outcomes. In 1989, Zale Lipshy University Hospital opened and became a center for neurosurgical care, and Hunt Batjer, MD, became chair in 2012. The program expanded significantly. Along with principles established by his predecessors, Batjer emphasized the need for all neurosurgeons to engage the community and to be active in policy leadership through local and national organizations. During his tenure, the pediatric neurosurgery group at Children’s Medical Center Dallas was integrated with the department, and a multidisciplinary spine service was developed. In 2014, the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute was established, and the William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital opened. For 64 years, UT Southwestern Medical Center has been fertile ground for academic neurosurgery, with a strong emphasis on excellence in patient care.

The life and legacy of William Beecher Scoville

Dr. William Beecher Scoville (1906–1984) is a giant figure in the history of neurosurgery, well known by the public for his operation on Patient H.M. He developed dozens of neurosurgical instruments and techniques, with many tools named after him that are still widely used today. He founded numerous neurosurgical societies around the world. He led the movement in psychosurgery, developing the technique of selective orbital undercutting and performing hundreds of lobotomies throughout his career. However, his many contributions to the advancement of neurosurgery have not been well described in the medical literature. To bridge the knowledge gap, this article seeks to detail the life and career of William Beecher Scoville and bring to attention the enduring impact of his work.

The Role of Amyloid PET in Diagnosing Possible Transmissible Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy in Young Adults with a History of Neurosurgery: A Case Series

Background: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a common cause of cerebrovascular disease in the elderly. There is accumulating evidence suggestive of transmissibility of β-amyloid resulting in amyloid pathology at younger age. According to the Boston criteria, defining CAA in patients <55 years requires histological evidence which may hamper diagnosis. We explored the role of amyloid PET in the diagnosis of possible transmissible CAA in young adults. Cases: We report 4 young adults (<55 years) presenting with clinical and neuroimaging features suggestive of CAA but without genetic evidence of hereditary CAA explaining the young onset. A common factor in all cases was a medical history of neurosurgery during childhood. All patients underwent amyloid PET to support the diagnosis of an amyloid-related pathology and the result was positive in all 4. Conclusion: Combining the clinical presentation and imaging findings of the 4 cases, we postulate transmissible CAA as the possible diagnosis. Further epidemiological studies are required to gain more insight in the prevalence of this novel entity. Amyloid PET may be a useful, non-invasive tool in these analyses especially since pathological evidence will be lacking in most of these studies.

The history of neurosurgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center

The Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center has grown considerably from one neurosurgeon in 1923 into a first-class department with diverse subspecialty care and innovative faculty. Founding neurosurgeon Dr. J. Jay Keegan, a student of Harvey Cushing, instituted a legacy of clinical and research excellence that he passed on to his successors. The department created a lecture series to honor Keegan’s pioneering techniques and impact in the field, featuring prominent neurosurgeons from across the country. Keegan’s successors, such as Dr. Lyal Leibrock, grew the department through a unique partnership with private practice. The current faculty has continued the tradition of exceptional resident training and innovative patient care.

The history of neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine

The development of neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine began with the medical school’s relocation to the new Texas Medical Center in Houston in 1943. An academic service was organized in 1949 as a section of neurosurgery within Baylor’s Department of Surgery. Soon the practice, led by Dr. George Ehni, evolved to include clinical services at Methodist, Jefferson Davis (forerunner of Ben Taub), Texas Children’s, the Veterans Affairs, and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center hospitals. A neurosurgery residency program was established in 1954. As the clinical practice expanded, neurosurgery was upgraded from a section to a division and then to a department. It has been led by four chiefs/chairs over the past 60 years—Dr. George Ehni (1959–1979), Dr. Robert Grossman (1980–2004), Dr. Raymond Sawaya (2005–2014), and Dr. Daniel Yoshor (2015–2020). Since the 1950s, the department has drawn strength from its robust residency program, its research base in the medical school, and its five major hospital affiliates, which have largely remained unchanged (with the exception of Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center replacing Methodist in 2004). The recent expansion of the residency program to 25 accredited positions and the growing strength of relationships with the “Baylor five” hospitals affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine portend a bright future.

Congress of Neurological Surgeons Essent

This book presents a collection of critically appraised neurosurgical papers that shed light on some of the most impactful studies in the history of neurosurgery. Papers that have shaped the practice of neurosurgery as we know it today have been selected for review. Each paper is reviewed by a panel of experts who evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the paper as well as the impact it had on their personal practice of neurosurgery. The book is suited for residents and practicing neurosurgeons. The body of literature covered in this book has in many ways defined the gold standards of neurosurgical practice and is a must-know for every student of neurosurgery.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Surgical Site Infection Following Pediatric Neurosurgery

Background: Neurosurgeries are at high risk of surgical site infections (SSI), a complication associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and cost. Our aim was to measure SSI incidence and risk factors following pediatric neurosurgery at CHU Sainte-Justine, the provincial center for pediatric craniofacial surgery in Québec, Canada. Methods: Retrospective cohort study of all patients with elective neurosurgery performed at CHUSJ between October 2014 and October 2018. Medical records were reviewed to compare demographics, clinical presentations, and outcomes of patients. SSIs occurring within 30 days of a procedure without implant and up to 90 days with implant, were identified. SSI incidence was measured in patient years, and risk factors were assessed using univariate logistic regressions. Results: In total, 379 patients were included with an overall SSI incidence of 3.96 patient years. We found a higher SSI incidence in 2014–2015 compared to 2016–2018 (1.82 vs 4.83 patient years). The median age was 3.90 years, and cases seemed younger than controls (1.45 vs 4.15 years). No difference between groups was found for sex, body mass index, prematurity, and length of hospitalization. The proportion of deep SSIs was greater than superficial SSIs (53.3% vs 46.7%). Cases were more likely to present with a more severe ASA score, previous history of neurosurgery, neurological conditions, and pulmonary conditions than controls: OR, 3.90 (95% CI, 1.36–11.49); OR, 2.59 (95% CI, 0.88–7.40); OR, 2.77 (95% CI, 0.98–8.41), and OR, 3.21 (95% CI, 0.86–9.94), respectively. Among patients with history of neurosurgery, a higher proportion of cases experienced a cerebrospinal fluid leak (28.6% vs 2.2%). Most patients (85.8%) received preoperative prophylactic antibiotic. Of those, 49.3% were considered appropriate based on antibiotic and timing of administration. When antibiotic dosage was also considered, the number of patients who received an appropriate antibiotic therapy decreased radically. Conclusions: Patients with comorbidities, especially neurological and pulmonary conditions, are at higher risk of SSI after neurosurgery. We are currently working on a detailed analysis to explain the increase in SSI incidence after 2016. Finally, prophylactic antibiotic therapy needs to be improved and its impact on SSI rates needs to be monitored.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None