Lisa Millgård Sagberg

Surgical strategies in low-grade gliomas and implications for long-term quality of life.

Reports on long-term health related quality of life (HRQL) after surgery for World Health Organization grade II diffuse low-grade gliomas (LGG) are rare. We aimed to compare long-term HRQL in two hospital cohorts with different surgical strategies. Biopsy and watchful waiting was favored in one hospital, while early resections guided with three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound was favored in the other. With a population-based approach 153 patients with histologically verified LGG treated from 1998-2009 were included. Patients still alive were contacted for HRQL assessment (n=91) using generic (EQ-5D; EuroQol Group, Rotterdam, The Netherlands) and disease specific (EORTC QLQ-C30 and BN20; EORTC Quality of Life Department, Brussels, Belgium) questionnaires. Results on HRQL were available in 79 patients (87%), 25 from the hospital that favored biopsy and 54 from the hospital that favored early resection. Among living patients there was no difference in EQ-5D index scores (p=0.426). When imputing scores defined as death (zero) in patients dead at follow-up, a clinically relevant difference in EQ-5D score was observed in favor of early resections (p=0.022, mean difference 0.16, 95% confidence interval 0.02-0.29). In EORTC questionnaires pain, depression and concern about disruption in family life were more common with a strategy of initial biopsy only (p=0.043, p=0.032 and p=0.045 respectively). In long-term survivors an aggressive surgical approach using intraoperative 3D ultrasound image guidance in LGG does not lower HRQL compared to a more conservative surgical approach. This finding further weakens a possible role for watchful waiting in LGG.

Quality of survival the 1st year with glioblastoma: a longitudinal study of patient-reported quality of life

OBJECTIVE By exploring longitudinal patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL), the authors sought to assess the quality of survival for patients in the 1st year after diagnosis of glioblastoma. METHODS Thirty unselected patients ≥ 18 years who underwent primary surgery for glioblastoma in the period 2011-2013 were included. Using the generic HRQoL questionnaire EQ-5D 3L, baseline HRQoL was assessed before surgery and at postoperative follow-up after 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 months. RESULTS There was an apparent correlation between deterioration in HRQoL scores and tumor progression. Patients with permanent deterioration in HRQoL early after surgery represented a subgroup with rapid progression and short survival. Both positive and negative changes in HRQoL were more often seen after surgery than after radio- or chemotherapy. Patients with gross-total resection (GTR) reported better and more stable HRQoL. In a multivariable analysis preoperative cognitive symptoms (p = 0.02), preoperative functional status (p = 0.03), and GTR (p = 0.01) were independent predictors of quality of survival (area under the curve for EQ-5D 3L index values). CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that progression-free survival is not only a surrogate marker for survival, but also for quality of survival. Quality of survival seems to be associated with GTR, which adds further support for opting for extensive resections in glioblastoma patients with good preoperative functional levels.

Morbidity after intracranial tumor surgery: sensitivity and specificity of retrospective review of medical records compared with patient-reported outcomes at 30 days

OBJECT Published outcome reports in neurosurgical literature frequently rely on data from retrospective review of hospital records at discharge, but the sensitivity and specificity of retrospective assessments of surgical morbidity is not known. The aim of this study was to elucidate the sensitivity and specificity of retrospective assessment of morbidity after intracranial tumor surgery by comparing it to patient-reported outcomes at 30 days. METHODS In 191 patients who underwent surgery for the treatment of intracranial tumors, we evaluated newly acquired neurological deficits within the motor, language, and cognitive domains. Traditional retrospective discharge data were collected by review of hospital records. Patient-reported data were obtained by structured phone interviews at 30 days after surgery. Data on perioperative medical and surgical complications were obtained from both hospital records and patient interviews conducted 30 days postoperatively. RESULTS Sensitivity values for retrospective review of hospital records as compared with patient-reported outcomes were 0.52 for motor deficits, 0.4 for language deficits, and 0.07 for cognitive deficits. According to medical records, 158 patients were discharged with no new or worsened deficits, but only 117 (74%) of these patients confirmed this at 30 days after surgery. Specificity values were high (0.97-0.99), indicating that new deficits were unlikely to be found by retrospective review of hospital records at discharge when the patients did not report any at 30 days. Major perioperative complications were all identified through retrospective review of hospital records. CONCLUSIONS Retrospective assessment of medical records at discharge from hospital may greatly underestimate the incidence of new neurological deficits after brain tumor surgery when compared with patient-reported outcomes after 30 days.

Animal study assessing safety of an acoustic coupling fluid that holds the potential to avoid surgically induced artifacts in 3D ultrasound guided operations

BackgroundUse of ultrasound in brain tumor surgery is common. The difference in attenuation between brain and isotonic saline may cause artifacts that degrade the ultrasound images, potentially affecting resection grades and safety. Our research group has developed an acoustic coupling fluid that attenuates ultrasound energy like the normal brain. We aimed to test in animals if the newly developed acoustic coupling fluid may have harmful effects.MethodsEight rats were included for intraparenchymal injection into the brain, and if no adverse reactions were detected, 6 pigs were to be included with injection of the coupling fluid into the subarachnoid space. Animal behavior, EEG registrations, histopathology and immunohistochemistry were used in assessment.ResultsIn total, 14 animals were included, 8 rats and 6 pigs. We did not detect any clinical adverse effects, seizure activity on EEG or histopathological signs of tissue damage.ConclusionThe novel acoustic coupling fluid intended for brain tumor surgery appears safe in rats and pigs under the tested circumstances.

Quality of life in patients with intracranial tumors: does tumor laterality matter?

OBJECTIVE Traditionally, the dominant (usually left) cerebral hemisphere is regarded as the more important one, and everyday clinical decisions are influenced by this view. However, reported results on the impact of lesion laterality are inconsistent in the scarce literature on quality of life (QOL) in patients with brain tumors. The authors aimed to study which cerebral hemisphere is the most important to patients with intracranial tumors with respect to health-related QOL (HRQOL). METHODS Two hundred forty-eight patients with unilateral, unifocal gliomas or meningiomas scheduled for primary surgery were included in this prospective cohort study. Generic HRQOL was measured using the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire preoperatively and after 4-6 weeks. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of data were performed. RESULTS Tumor volumes were significantly larger in right-sided tumors at diagnosis, and language or speech problems were more common in left-sided lesions. Otherwise, no differences existed in baseline data. The median EQ-5D-3L index was 0.73 (range -0.24 to 1.00) in patients with right-sided tumors and 0.76 (range -0.48 to 1.00) in patients with left-sided tumors (p = 0.709). Due to the difference in tumor volumes at baseline, histopathology and tumor volumes were matched in 198 patients. EQ-5D-3L index scores in this 1:1 matched analysis were 0.74 (range -0.7 to 1.00) for patients with right-sided and 0.76 (range -0.48 to 1.00) for left-sided lesions (p = 0.342). In the analysis of longitudinal data, no association was found between tumor laterality and postoperative EQ-5D-3L index scores (p = 0.957) or clinically significant change in HRQOL following surgery (p = 0.793). CONCLUSIONS In an overall patient-reported QOL perspective, tumor laterality does not appear to be of significant importance for generic HRQOL in patients with intracranial tumors. This may imply that right-sided cerebral functions are underestimated by clinicians.

Training nurses and educating the public using a virtual operating room with Oculus Rift

The purpose of this work is to contribute to the design and development of a virtual university hospital as a place for educational activities. The findings presented in this paper are based on two exploratory studies using a virtual operating room with both medical and non-medical participants. The room was designed to recreate a real one at St. Olavs university hospital in Trondheim, Norway. The first participant category was represented by surgical and anesthesia postgraduate nursing students who conducted role-play of realistic and relevant scenarios in the virtual operating room. The non-medical participants went on a virtual guided tour around in the same operating room. Both participant groups provided suggestions for further development of the virtual hospital. We have also investigated the use of the Oculus Rift, a head mounted display, as a way of enhancing the immersion at the virtual operating room. The paper highlights and discusses the most important findings, with suggestions of future work.

Surgery for chronic subdural hematoma in nonagenarians: A Scandinavian population-based multicenter study.

Chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) is a prevalent condition often seen in the elderly, with surgery being the treatment of choice when symptomatic. So far, few have explored the surgical outcomes in patients 90 years or older. The aim of this study was to investigate outcome after cSDH surgery in nonagenarians (≥90 y/o group) compared to younger adult patients (<90 y/o group).

Perioperative quality of life in functionally dependent glioblastoma patients: A prospective study

Objective. Functionally dependent patients with glioblastoma have a poor prognosis which may in part be due to a negative treatment selection. Prospective data on patient-reported quality of life (QoL) following surgery, together with an updated survival analysis, are lacking with regard to functionally dependent glioblastoma patients. Materials and methods. Adult patients (≥ 18 years) with a histologically confirmed primary glioblastoma with preoperative Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) ≤ 60, who were treated between January 1, 2007 and March 30, 2014, were eligible for inclusion. EuroQol 5D (EQ-5D) was scored before surgery and at 4–6 weeks postoperatively. A control group of 20 independent (i.e., KPS ≥ 70) adult primary glioblastoma patients was constructed. Results. Among the 27 patients included, only 22 patients were willing to participate in QoL research, with complete QoL follow-up data obtained for 16. There were 22 resections and 5 biopsies. In resection cases, the median extent of resection was 93% (IQR 78–99), with gross-total resection achieved in 24%. In the 16 patients with complete QoL data, the EQ-5D index score increased from 0.34 ± 0.38 preoperatively to 0.45 ± 0.32 postoperatively (p = 0.30), with 3 patients that deteriorated in QoL following surgery. Median survival was 7.3 months (95%, CI: 4.6–9.9, n = 27), and the perioperative mortality was 7%. Treatment characteristics between dependent and independent patients were similar, as were the unfavorable outcomes defined as QoL reduction, QoL drop-out, and dead before QoL assessment (41% vs. 45%, p = 0.79). However, a difference was seen in 6-month survival (42% vs. 15%, p = 0.05). Conclusion. In most functionally dependent patients with glioblastoma, cytoreductive surgery is possible, and improved or unchanged postoperative QoL may be seen in approximately half of the cases. This must be weighed against the risk of complications and the modest effect of cytoreductive surgery.

Assessment of drainage techniques for evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma: a consecutive population-based comparative cohort study

OBJECTIVE Surgery for chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is one of the most common neurosurgical procedures. The benefit of postoperative passive subdural drainage compared with no drains has been established, but other drainage techniques are common, and their effectiveness compared with passive subdural drains remains unknown. METHODS In Scandinavian population-based cohorts the authors conducted a consecutive, parallel cohort study to compare different drainage techniques. The techniques used were continuous irrigation and drainage (CID cohort, n = 166), passive subdural drainage (PD cohort, n = 330), and active subgaleal drainage (AD cohort, n = 764). The primary end point was recurrence in need of reoperation within 6 months of index surgery. Secondary end points were complications, perioperative mortality, and overall survival. The analyses were based on direct regional comparison (i.e., surgical strategy). RESULTS Recurrence in need of surgery was observed in 18 patients (10.8%) in the CID cohort, in 66 patients (20.0%) in the PD cohort, and in 85 patients (11.1%) in the AD cohort (p < 0.001). Complications were more common in the CID cohort (14.5%) compared with the PD (7.3%) and AD (8.1%) cohorts (p = 0.019). Perioperative mortality rates were similar between cohorts (p = 0.621). There were some differences in baseline and treatment characteristics possibly interfering with the above-mentioned results. However, after adjusting for differences in baseline and treatment characteristics in a regression model, the drainage techniques were still significantly associated with clinical outcome (p < 0.001 for recurrence, p = 0.017 for complications). CONCLUSIONS Compared with the AD cohort, more recurrences were observed in the PD cohort and more complications in the CID cohort, also after adjustment for differences at baseline. Although the authors cannot exclude unmeasured confounding factors when comparing centers, AD appears superior to the more common PD. Clinical trial registration no.: NCT01930617 (clinicaltrials.gov).

Virtual Operating Room for Collaborative Training of Surgical Nurses

In this paper, we present the first results of a study exploring how to support collaborative learning of surgical nursing students in a 3D virtual world. A Virtual Operating room, resembling the one at St. Olav’s University Hospital in Trondheim, Norway was created in Second Life to accommodate an educational role-play. In this role-play, the operating nursing students could practice communication with patients and cooperation in the team while preparing patients for surgery. At the first stage of the evaluation, the virtual simulation has been tested among nine postgraduate nursing students. The participants gave their evaluation and opinions in the form of questionnaires and discussion after the role-plays. Following the analysis of the data, we present a summary of the most important results in this paper. This study provides a number of suggestions for improving the learning process when role-playing in a virtual environment. We demonstrate that an educational simulation can be implemented with limited resources, and yet be practically useful in education of health personnel. Further research with medical and nursing students is highly applicable and feasible, and should include a larger group of participants. In the next stage of our work, the evaluation of the Virtual Operating room has been conducted with nurses, who are on an earlier stage of their study program, as well as anesthesia nurses and non-medics.