Benjamin Bouyer

Terrorist attacks in Paris: Surgical trauma experience in a referral center

BACKGROUND On November 13th, 2015, terrorist bomb explosions and gunshots occurred in Paris, France, with 129 people immediately killed, and more than 300 being injured. This article describes the staff organization, surgical management, and patterns of injuries in casualties who were referred to the Teaching European Hospital Georges Pompidou. METHODS This study is a retrospective analysis of the pre-hospital response and the in-hospital response in our referral trauma center. Data for patient flow, resource use, patterns of injuries and outcomes were obtained by the review of electronic hospital records. RESULTS Forty-one patients were referred to our center, and 22 requiring surgery were hospitalized for>24h. From November 14th at 0:41 A.M. to November 15th at 1:10 A.M., 23 surgical interventions were performed on 22 casualties. Gunshot injuries and/or shrapnel wounds were found in 45%, fractures in 45%, head trauma in 4.5%, and abdominal injuries in 14%. Soft-tissue and musculoskeletal injuries predominated in 77% of cases, peripheral nerve injury was identified in 30%. The mortality rate was 0% at last follow up. CONCLUSION Rapid staff and logistical response, immediate access to operating rooms, and multidisciplinary surgical care delivery led to excellent short-term outcomes, with no in-hospital death and only one patient being still hospitalized 45days after the initial event.

Surgery in vertebral fracture: Epidemiology and functional and radiological results in a prospective series of 518 patients at 1 year's follow-up

INTRODUCTION Recent epidemiological data for spinal trauma in France are sparse. However, increased knowledge of sagittal balance and the development of minimally invasive techniques have greatly improved surgical management. OBJECTIVES To describe the epidemiology and management of traumatic vertebral fracture, and to analyze evolution and risk factors for poor functional outcome at 1 years follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS A prospective multicenter French cohort study was performed over a 6-month period in 2011, including all cases of vertebral fracture surgery. Data were collected by online questionnaire over the Internet. Demographic characteristics, lesion type and surgical procedures were collected. Clinical, functional and radiological assessment was carried out at 1 year. RESULTS Five hundred and eighteen patients, with a mean age of 47 years, were included. Sixty-seven percent of fractures involved the thoracic or lumbar segment. Thirty percent of patients had multiple fractures and 28% neurological impairment. A minimally invasive technique was performed in 20% of cases and neurological decompression in 25%. Dural tear was observed in 42 patients (8%). Seventy percent of patients were followed up at 1 year. Functionally, SF-36 scores decreased on all dimensions, significantly associated with age, persistent neurological deficit and previous spine imbalance. Thirty-eight percent of working patients had returned to work. Radiologically, sagittal balance was good in 74% of cases, with fracture consolidation in 70%. DISCUSSION Despite progress in management, spinal trauma was still a source of significant morbidity in 2011, with pronounced decrease in quality of life. Conserved sagittal balance appeared to be associated with better functional outcome.

Spinal cord compression due to undiagnosed thoracic meningioma following lumbar surgery in an elderly patient: A case report

As spinal surgery in elderly patients is becoming increasingly frequent, comorbidities likely to be decompensated after such procedures must be kept in mind. We report here the case of an 82-year-old woman who presented rapidly progressive spinal cord compression following lumbar surgery for radiculopathy. Investigations showed a thoracic intradural extramedullary compressive lesion, which after removal turned out to be a meningioma. We suggest that radiculopathy and non-specific degenerative modifications partially masked this lesion, and that lumbar surgery caused this acute neurological deterioration. Therefore, we advice caution in older patients among whom such ambiguous clinical presentation is frequent.

Compression médullaire par méningiome thoracique non identifié dans les suites d’une chirurgie rachidienne lombaire chez un sujet âgé : à propos d’un cas☆

Summary As spinal surgery in elderly patients is becoming increasingly frequent, comorbidities likely to be decompensated after such procedures must be kept in mind. We report here the case of an 82-year-old woman who presented rapidly progressive spinal cord compression following lumbar surgery for radiculopathy. Investigations showed a thoracic intradural extramedullary compressive lesion, which after removal turned out to be a meningioma. We suggest that radiculopathy and non-specific degenerative modifications partially masked this lesion, and that lumbar surgery caused this acute neurological deterioration. Therefore, we advice caution in older patients among whom such ambiguous clinical presentation is frequent.