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Lawlor MC, Rubery PT, Thirukumaran C, Ramirez G, Fear K. Socioeconomic Status Correlates With Initial Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Pain Interference (PROMIS-PI) Scores but Not the Likelihood of Spine Surgery. Cureus 2024; 16:e57281. [PMID: 38690451 PMCID: PMC11057964 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.57281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective To explore how socioeconomic status and patient characteristics may be associated with initial self-reports of pain and determine if there was an increased association with undergoing spine surgery. Methods Patients at an academic center between 2015 and 2021 who completed the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Pain Interference (PROMIS-PI) questionnaire were included. Multivariable linear regression models were used to determine the association between insurance type and patient factors with initial reports of pain. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine the association between PI and the likelihood of surgery in two time periods, three and 12 months. Results The study included 9,587 patients. The mean PROMIS-PI scores were 61.93 (SD 7.82) and 63.74 (SD 6.93) in the cervical and lumbar cohorts, respectively. Medicaid and Workers' Compensation insurance patients reported higher pain scores compared to those with private insurance: Medicaid (cervical: 2.77, CI (1.76-3.79), p<0.001; lumbar (2.05, CI (1.52-2.59), p<0.001); Workers' Compensation (cervical: 2.12, CI (0.96-3.27), p<0.001; lumbar: 1.51, CI (0.79-2.23), p<0.001). Black patients reported higher pain compared to White patients (cervical: 1.50, CI (0.44-2.55), p=0.01; lumbar: 1.51, CI (0.94-2.08), p<0.001). Higher PROMIS-PI scores were associated with a higher likelihood of surgery. There was no increased association of likelihood of surgery in Black, Medicaid, or Workers' Compensation patients when controlling for pain severity. Conclusion Black patients and patients with Medicaid and Workers' compensation insurance were likely to report higher pain scores. Higher initial pain scores were associated with an increased likelihood of surgery. However, despite increased pain scores, Black patients and those with Medicaid and Workers' Compensation insurance did not have a higher likelihood of undergoing surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Lawlor
- Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Rochester, Rochester, USA
| | - Paul T Rubery
- Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Rochester, Rochester, USA
| | | | - Gabriel Ramirez
- Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Rochester, Rochester, USA
| | - Kathleen Fear
- Orthopaedic Surgery, UR Health Lab - University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, USA
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Shah V, Rodrigues AJ, Malhotra S, Johnstone T, Varshneya K, Haider G, Stienen MN, Veeravagu A. Clinical Outcomes and Cost Differences Between Patients Undergoing Primary Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion Procedures with Private or Medicare Insurance: A Propensity Score-Matched Study. World Neurosurg 2023; 173:e669-e676. [PMID: 36871653 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2023.02.129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We assessed whether the insurance type reflects a patient's quality of care after an anterior discectomy and fusion (ACDF) procedure by comparing differences in the postoperative complications, readmission rates, reoperation rates, lengths of hospital stay, and cost of treatment between patients with Medicare versus private insurance. METHODS Propensity score matching was used to match patient cohorts insured by Medicare and private insurance in the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database (2007-2016). Age, sex, year of operation, geographic region, comorbidities, and operative factors were used to match cohorts of patients who had undergone an ACDF procedure. RESULTS A total of 110,911 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of these patients, 97,543 patients (87.9%) were privately insured and 13,368 patients (12.1%) were insured by Medicare. The propensity score matching algorithm matched 7026 privately insured patients to 7026 Medicare patients. After matching, no significant differences were found in the 90-day postoperative complication rates, lengths of stay, or reoperation rates between the Medicare and privately insured cohorts. The Medicare group had had lower postoperative readmission rates for all time points: 30 days (1.8% vs. 4.6%; P < 0.001), 60 days (2.5% vs. 6.3%; P < 0.001), and 90 days (4.2% vs. 7.7%; P < 0.001). The median payment to physicians was significantly lower for the Medicare group ($3885 vs. $5601; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS In the present study, propensity score matched patients covered by Medicare and private insurance who had undergone an ACDF procedure had had similar treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vaibhavi Shah
- Neurosurgical Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Adrian J Rodrigues
- Neurosurgical Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Shreya Malhotra
- Neurosurgical Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Thomas Johnstone
- Neurosurgical Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Kunal Varshneya
- Neurosurgical Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Ghani Haider
- Neurosurgical Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Martin N Stienen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Spine Center of Eastern Switzerland, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Anand Veeravagu
- Neurosurgical Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
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Brosius DJ, Chaturvedi R, Andreae MH, White RS, Witkin LR, Nair S, Shaparin N. Social determinants of health: modeling and targeting patient propensity to attend pain clinic appointments. Pain Manag 2023; 13:151-159. [PMID: 36718774 DOI: 10.2217/pmt-2022-0059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: We sought to investigate the impact of social determinants of health on pain clinic attendance. Materials & methods: Retrospective data were collected from the Pain Center at Montefiore Medical Center from 2016 to 2020 and analyzed with multivariable logistic regression. Results: African-Americans were less likely to attend appointments compared with White patients (odds ratio [OR]: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.70-0.77; p < 0.001). Males had decreased attendance compared with females (OR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.87-0.92; p < 0.001). Compared with Commercial, those with Medicaid (OR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.66-0.72; p < 0.001) and Medicare (OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.73-0.80; p < 0.001) insurance had decreased attendance. Conclusion: Significant disparities exist in pain clinic attendance based upon social determinants of health including race, gender and insurance type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Brosius
- Department of Anesthesiology, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Rahul Chaturvedi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Michael H Andreae
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Utah, Salk Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Robert S White
- Department of Anesthesiology, Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lisa R Witkin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Singh Nair
- Department of Anesthesiology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10467, USA
| | - Naum Shaparin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10467, USA
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Karamian BA, Toci GR, Lambrechts MJ, Canseco JA, Basques B, Tran K, Alfonsi S, Rihn J, Kurd MF, Woods BI, Hilibrand AS, Kepler CK, Vaccaro AR, Schroeder GD, Kaye ID. Does Age Younger Than 65 Affect Clinical Outcomes in Medicare Patients Undergoing Lumbar Fusion? Clin Spine Surg 2022; 35:E714-E719. [PMID: 35700082 DOI: 10.1097/bsd.0000000000001347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
STUDY DESIGN This was a retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE To determine if age (younger than 65) and Medicare status affect patient outcomes following lumbar fusion. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Medicare is a common spine surgery insurance provider, but most qualifying patients are older than age 65. There is a paucity of literature investigating clinical outcomes for Medicare patients under the age of 65. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients 40 years and older who underwent lumbar fusion surgery between 2014 and 2019 were queried from electronic medical records. Patients with >2 levels fused, >3 levels decompressed, incomplete patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), revision procedures, and tumor/infection diagnosis were excluded. Patients were placed into 4 groups based on Medicare status and age: no Medicare under 65 years (NM<65), no Medicare 65 years or older (NM≥65), yes Medicare under 65 (YM<65), and yes Medicare 65 years or older (YM≥65). T tests and χ 2 tests analyzed univariate comparisons depending on continuous or categorical type. Multivariate regression for ∆PROMs controlled for confounders. Alpha was set at 0.05. RESULTS Of the 1097 patients, 567 were NM<65 (51.7%), 133 were NM≥65 (12.1%), 42 were YM<65 (3.8%), and 355 were YM≥65 (32.4%). The YM<65 group had significantly worse preoperative Visual Analog Scale back ( P =0.01) and preoperative and postoperative Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Short-Form 12 Mental Component Score (MCS-12), and Physical Component Score (PCS-12). However, on regression analysis, there were no significant differences in ∆PROMs for YM <65 compared with YM≥65, and NM<65. NM<65 (compared with YM<65) was an independent predictor of decreased improvement in ∆ODI following surgery (β=12.61, P =0.007); however, overall the ODI was still lower in the NM<65 compared with the YM<65. CONCLUSION Medicare patients younger than 65 years undergoing lumbar fusion had significantly worse preoperative and postoperative PROMs. The perioperative improvement in outcomes was similar between groups with the exception of ∆ODI, which demonstrated greater improvement in Medicare patients younger than 65 compared with non-Medicare patients younger than 65. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III (treatment).
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian A Karamian
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rothman Institute, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA
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Toci GR, Lambrechts MJ, Issa TZ, Karamian BA, Syal A, Parson JP, Canseco JA, Woods BI, Rihn JA, Hilibrand AS, Schroeder GD, Kepler CK, Vaccaro AR, Kaye ID. Does Age and Medicare Status Affect Clinical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion? World Neurosurg 2022; 166:e495-e503. [PMID: 35843583 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine if Medicare status and age affect clinical outcomes following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. METHODS Patients who underwent cervical discectomy and fusion between 2014 and 2020 with complete preoperative and 1-year postoperative patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were grouped based on Medicare status and age: no Medicare under 65 years (NM < 65), Medicare under 65 years (M < 65), no Medicare 65 years or older (NM ≥ 65), and Medicare 65 years or older (M ≥ 65). Multivariate regression for ΔPROMs (Δ: postoperative minus preoperative) controlled for confounding differences between groups. Significant was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS A total of 1288 patients were included, with each group improving in the visual analog score (VAS) Neck (all, P < 0.001), VAS Arm (M < 65: P = 0.003; remaining groups: P < 0.001), and Neck Disability Index (M < 65: P = 0.009; remaining groups: P < 0.001) following surgery. Only M < 65 did not significantly improve in the Physical Component Score (PCS-12) and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) score (P = 0.256 and P = 0.092, respectively). When comparing patients under 65 years, non-Medicare patients had better preoperative PCS-12 (P < 0.001), Neck Disability Index (P < 0.001), and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (P < 0.001), as well as better postoperative values for all PROMs (P < 0.001), but there were no differences in ΔPROMs. Multivariate analysis identified M < 65 to be an independent predictor of decreased improvement in ΔPCS-12 (β = -4.07, P = 0.015), ΔVAS Neck (β = 1.17, P = 0.010), and ΔVAS Arm (β = 1.15, P = 0.025) compared to NM < 65. CONCLUSIONS Regardless of age and Medicare status, all patients undergoing cervical discectomy and fusion had significant clinical improvement postoperatively. However, Medicare patients under age 65 have a smaller magnitude of improvement in PROMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory R Toci
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mark J Lambrechts
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Tariq Z Issa
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brian A Karamian
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Amit Syal
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jory P Parson
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jose A Canseco
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Barrett I Woods
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Rihn
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alan S Hilibrand
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Gregory D Schroeder
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Christopher K Kepler
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alexander R Vaccaro
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA
| | - I David Kaye
- Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, USA
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Park D, Cho JM, Yang JW, Yang D, Kim M, Oh G, Kwon HD. Classification of expert-level therapeutic decisions for degenerative cervical myelopathy using ensemble machine learning algorithms. Front Surg 2022; 9:1010420. [PMID: 36147698 PMCID: PMC9485547 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2022.1010420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Therapeutic decisions for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) are complex and should consider various factors. We aimed to develop machine learning (ML) models for classifying expert-level therapeutic decisions in patients with DCM. Methods This retrospective cross-sectional study included patients diagnosed with DCM, and the diagnosis of DCM was confirmed clinically and radiologically. The target outcomes were defined as conservative treatment, anterior surgical approaches (ASA), and posterior surgical approaches (PSA). We performed the following classifications using ML algorithms: multiclass, one-versus-rest, and one-versus-one. Two ensemble ML algorithms were used: random forest (RF) and extreme gradient boosting (XGB). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) was the primary metric. We also identified the variable importance for each classification. Results In total, 304 patients were included (109 conservative, 66 ASA, 125 PSA, and 4 combined surgeries). For multiclass classification, the AUC-ROC of RF and XGB models were 0.91 and 0.92, respectively. In addition, ML models showed AUC-ROC values of >0.9 for all types of binary classifications. Variable importance analysis revealed that the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association score and central motor conduction time were the two most important variables for distinguishing between conservative and surgical treatments. When classifying ASA and PSA, the number of involved levels, age, and body mass index were important contributing factors. Conclusion ML-based classification of DCM therapeutic options is valid and feasible. This study can be a basis for establishing generalizable ML-based surgical decision models for DCM. Further studies are needed with a large multicenter database.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dougho Park
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Pohang Stroke and Spine Hospital, Pohang, South Korea
| | - Jae Man Cho
- Department of Neurosurgery, Pohang Stroke and Spine Hospital, Pohang, South Korea
| | - Joong Won Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Pohang Stroke and Spine Hospital, Pohang, South Korea
| | - Donghoon Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Pohang Stroke and Spine Hospital, Pohang, South Korea
| | - Mansu Kim
- Department of Neurosurgery, Pohang Stroke and Spine Hospital, Pohang, South Korea
| | - Gayeoul Oh
- Department of Radiology, Pohang Stroke and Spine Hospital, Pohang, South Korea
| | - Heum Dai Kwon
- Department of Neurosurgery, Pohang Stroke and Spine Hospital, Pohang, South Korea
- Correspondence: Heum Dai Kwon
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Spirollari E, Vazquez S, Das A, Wang R, Ampie L, Carpenter AB, Zeller S, Naftchi AF, Beaudreault C, Ming T, Thaker A, Vaserman G, Feldstein E, Dominguez JF, Kazim SF, Al-Mufti F, Houten JK, Kinon MD. Characteristics of Patients Selected for Surgical Treatment of Spinal Meningioma. World Neurosurg 2022; 165:e680-e688. [PMID: 35779754 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.06.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spinal meningiomas are benign extra-axial tumors that can present with neurological deficits. Treatment partly depends on the degree of disability as there is no agreed-upon patient selection algorithm at present. We aimed to elucidate general patient selection patterns in patients undergoing surgery for spinal meningioma. METHODS Data for patients with spinal tumors admitted between 2016 and 2019 were extracted from the U.S. Nationwide Inpatient Sample. We identified patients with a primary diagnosis of spinal meningioma (using International Classification of Disease, 10th revision codes) and divided them into surgical and nonsurgical treatment groups. Patient characteristics were evaluated for intergroup differences. RESULTS Of 6395 patients with spinal meningioma, 5845 (91.4%) underwent surgery. Advanced age, nonwhite race, obesity, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, and anticoagulant/antiplatelet use were less prevalent in the surgical group (all P < 0.001). The only positive predictor of surgical treatment was elective admission status (odds ratio, 3.166; P < 0.001); negative predictors were low income, Medicaid insurance, anxiety, obesity, and plegia. Patients with bowel-bladder dysfunction, plegia, or radiculopathy were less likely to undergo surgical treatment. The surgery group was less likely to experience certain complications (deep vein thrombosis, P < 0.001; pulmonary embolism, P = 0.002). Increased total hospital charges were associated with nonwhite race, diabetes, depression, obesity, myelopathy, plegia, and surgery. CONCLUSIONS Patients treated surgically had a decreased incidence of complications, comorbidities, and Medicaid payer status. A pattern of increased utilization of health care resources and spending was also observed in the surgery group. The results indicate a potentially underserved population of patients with spinal meningioma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sima Vazquez
- New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Ankita Das
- New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Richard Wang
- New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Leonel Ampie
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Austin B Carpenter
- Department of Neurosurgery, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Sabrina Zeller
- Department of Neurosurgery, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Tiffany Ming
- New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Akash Thaker
- New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | | | - Eric Feldstein
- Department of Neurosurgery, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - Jose F Dominguez
- Department of Neurosurgery, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA.
| | - Syed Faraz Kazim
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of New Mexico Hospital, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Fawaz Al-Mufti
- Department of Neurosurgery, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
| | - John K Houten
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maimonides Medical Center, Northwell School of Medicine, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | - Merritt D Kinon
- Department of Neurosurgery, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, USA
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