Research Shows Individuals Suffering From Spondylolisthesis May Benefit From Fusion and Laminectomy in Concert
There is some good clinical research news for individuals suffering from degenerative grade I spondylolisthesis with lumbar spinal stenosis. Recent findings delivered at the 80th AANS Annual Scientific Meeting in Miami show that patients suffering this condition may find improved quality of life by undergoing a laminectomy with lumbar spinal fusion versus laminectomy alone. The study, entitled "Lumbar Spinal Fusion plus Laminectomy is Superior to Laminectomy alone for Grade I Degenerative Spondylolisthesis: SLIP Study Results," included 106 patients, with the primary outcome measurements assessed at the clinic one, three, six and 12 months after the surgery, and then annually via phone. According to the researchers, when fusion was added to laminectomy, the re-operation rate was considerably lower for those patients than for patients undergoing laminectomy alone. To read more about this study, click here.
AANS Looks to Raise Awareness, Share Information About Patients' Neurosurgical Questions
The AANS continues to make updates to its oft-visited Patient Information section, regularly updating pages covering a wide range of conditions, treatments and actions related to the neurosurgical specialty. These pages are available as informational tools to the general public, media and others seeking more information on these areas. The section most recently has updated areas on concussion and sports-related head injury, and regular updates to other pages will continue throughout 2012.
2012 Dividend for AANS Members through AANS Professional Liability Insurance Program
The Doctors Company, the exclusively carrier for the AANS Professional Liability Insurance Program and the nation’s largest insurer of physician and surgeon medical liability, announced a 2.5 percent dividend to reward AANS member physicians insured by The Doctors Company for their excellent claims experience and dedication to the practice of good medicine. Learn more
AANS Annual Scientific Meeting Heats Up Miami With Science, Education and Fellowship
The 80th AANS Annual Scientific Meeting, which concluded in Miami on April 18, 2012, showcased scientific research, new technologies and treatment approaches, and educational insight on an almost unprecedented level. Nearly 3,350 medical attendees descended on the Miami Beach Convention Center to learn about the latest techniques and neurosurgical developments, and with 6,849 total attendees on hand, this year's program provided outstanding opportunities to build new relationships and programs. On the education front, The Operative Nuances for Managing Complex Cranial Cases: A 3D Video Presentation – a new addition to this year's program that provided attendees with an incredible view of different elements of cranial surgery – was one of many standing-room only presentations (it, along with the Plenary Sessions, also was streamed live over the Internet). You can still review and discuss the electronic posters from this year's meeting as well. Click here to find out how to participate online. The Abstract Center for the 2013 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting taking place in New Orleans will open on May 21, 2012. Be sure to check back here regularly for updates on next year's meeting.
Support Brain Tumor Research – Get Involved With The 9th Annual Neurosurgery Charity Softball Tournament
The 9th Annual Neurosurgery Charity Softball Tournament, endorsed by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and hosted by Columbia University, will take place on June 9, 2012, in New York City’s Central Park. Sponsored in part by the New York Yankees and endorsed by New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, this year’s event also includes a new live CME activity taking place on the evening of June 8, 2012. To find out more about this year’s event, click here.
AANS Offers Several Coding Courses for Today's Neurosurgical Practitioner
With numerous changes on the horizon for coding in the neurosurgical specialty, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons' (AANS') Managing Coding and Reimbursement Challenges in Neurosurgery 2012 course is designed to help prepare neurosurgeons and their staff members on those changes, including posterior lumbar spine fusion procedure codes, instrumentation removal codes, spine pump CPT codes and neurostimulator programming codes. To find out more about the course and its offerings, locations and dates, click here.
Glioblastoma Vaccine Trial Results Presented at AANS Annual Scientific Meeting Show Potential for Improved Survival Rates
At the 80th AANS Annual Scientific Meeting, researchers unveiled study results from a Phase II multicenter clinical trial in which they found that an autologous heat shock protein-peptide vaccine, HSPPC-96, may be clinically beneficial for glioblastoma multiforme patients (click here to read the Fox News story about the research findings). Lead investigator Andrew Parsa, MD, PhD, FAANS, said the vaccine was created from tumor cells of patients who had undergone surgery to remove a tumor, and then injected into their bodies to help illicit an immune response against the tumor. The researchers agreed that further testing with a wider-ranging, randomized trial may supply more data about the potential use of this vaccine. To read the press release about the study and presentation, click here.
New Study to Investigate Head Impacts and Youth Football
The Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences (SBES) recently published data on head impacts and youth football. The research, which appears in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering and is available online for free download, includes the details of more than 700 head impacts measured on 7- and 8-year-old youth football players. SBES also has announced a new study to instrument and map the head impact exposure of youth football players ages 6 to 18. This program, called the Kinematics of Impact Data Set (KIDS), will comprise more than 240 instrumented helmets on six different football teams in Virginia and North Carolina. For more information, click here to read the full release.