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Raymond J, Fahed R, Darsaut TE. Ethical Problems of Observational Studies and Big Data Compared to Randomized Trials. J Med Philos 2024:jhae021. [PMID: 38739037 DOI: 10.1093/jmp/jhae021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The temptation to use prospective observational studies (POS) instead of conducting difficult trials (RCTs) has always existed, but with the advent of powerful computers and large databases, it can become almost irresistible. We examine the potential consequences, were this to occur, by comparing two hypothetical studies of a new treatment: one RCT, and one POS. The POS inevitably submits more patients to inferior research methodology. In RCTs, patients are clearly informed of the research context, and 1:1 randomized allocation between experimental and validated treatment balances risks for each patient. In POS, for each patient, the risks of receiving inferior treatment are impossible to estimate. The research context and the uncertainty are down-played, and patients and clinicians are at risk of becoming passive research subjects in studies performed from an outsider's view, which potentially has extraneous objectives, and is conducted without their explicit, autonomous, and voluntary involvement and consent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Raymond
- Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Robert Fahed
- University of Ottawa and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tim E Darsaut
- University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Center, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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2
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Boisseau W, Darsaut TE, Fahed R, Comby PO, Drake B, Lesiuk H, Rempel JL, O'Kelly CJ, Chow MMC, Iancu DE, Roy D, Weill A, Klink R, Raymond J. Endovascular Parent Vessel Occlusion Versus Flow Diversion in the Treatment of Large and Giant Aneurysms: A Randomized Comparison. World Neurosurg 2024; 185:e700-e712. [PMID: 38417622 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2024.02.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Parent vessel occlusion (PVO) is a time-honored treatment for unclippable or uncoilable intracranial aneurysms. Flow diversion (FD) is a recent endovascular alternative that can occlude the aneurysm and spare the parent blood vessel. Our aim was to compare outcomes of FD with endovascular PVO. METHODS This is a prespecified treatment subgroup analysis of the Flow diversion in Intracranial Aneurysms trial (FIAT). FIAT was an investigator-led parallel-group all-inclusive pragmatic randomized trial. For each patient, clinicians had to prespecify an alternative management option to FD before stratified randomization. We report all patients for whom PVO was selected as the best alternative treatment to FD. The primary outcome was a composite of core-lab determined angiographic occlusion or near-occlusion at 3-12 months combined with an independent clinical outcome (mRS<3). Primary analyses were intent-to-treat. There was no blinding. RESULTS There were 45 patients (16.2% of the 278 FIAT patients randomized between 2011 and 2020 in 3 centers): 22 were randomly allocated to FD and 23 to PVO. Aneurysms were mainly large or giant (mean 22 mm) anterior circulation (mainly carotid) aneurysms. A poor primary outcome was reached in 11/22 FD (50.0%) compared to 9/23 PVO patients (39.1%) (RR: 1.28, 95% CI [0.66-2.47]; P = 0.466). Morbidity (mRS >2) at 1 year occurred in 4/22 FD and 6/23 PVO patients. Angiographic results and serious adverse events were similar. CONCLUSIONS The comparison between PVO and FD was inconclusive. More randomized trials are needed to better determine the role of FD in large aneurysms eligible for PVO.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Boisseau
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild, Paris, France
| | - Tim E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Robert Fahed
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroradiology, Neurosurgery, University of Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pierre Olivier Comby
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Neuroradiology and Emergency Radiology, François-Mitterrand University Hospital, Dijon, France
| | - Brian Drake
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroradiology, Neurosurgery, University of Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Howard Lesiuk
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroradiology, Neurosurgery, University of Ottawa, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeremy L Rempel
- Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Cian J O'Kelly
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michael M C Chow
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Daniela E Iancu
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Daniel Roy
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alain Weill
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ruby Klink
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Boisseau W, Benomar A, Ducroux C, Fahed R, Smajda S, Diestro JDB, Charbonnier G, Ognard J, Burel J, Ter Schiphorst A, Boulanger M, Nehme A, Boucherit J, Marnat G, Volders D, Holay Q, Forestier G, Bretzner M, Roy D, Vingadassalom S, Elhorany M, Nico L, Jacquin G, Abdalkader M, Guedon A, Seners P, Janot K, Dumas V, Olatunji R, Gazzola S, Milot G, Zehr J, Darsaut TE, Iancu D, Raymond J. The Management of Persistent Distal Occlusions after Mechanical Thrombectomy and Thrombolysis: An Inter- and Intrarater Agreement Study. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2024:ajnr.A8149. [PMID: 38388684 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a8149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The best management of patients with persistent distal occlusion after mechanical thrombectomy with or without IV thrombolysis remains unknown. We sought to evaluate the variability and agreement in decision-making for persistent distal occlusions. MATERIALS AND METHODS A portfolio of 60 cases was sent to clinicians with varying backgrounds and experience. Responders were asked whether they considered conservative management or rescue therapy (stent retriever, aspiration, or intra-arterial thrombolytics) a treatment option as well as their willingness to enroll patients in a randomized trial. Agreement was assessed using κ statistics. RESULTS The electronic survey was answered by 31 physicians (8 vascular neurologists and 23 interventional neuroradiologists). Decisions for rescue therapies were more frequent (n = 1116/1860, 60%) than for conservative management (n = 744/1860, 40%; P < .001). Interrater agreement regarding the final management decision was "slight" (κ = 0.12; 95% CI, 0.09-0.14) and did not improve when subgroups of clinicians were studied according to background, experience, and specialty or when cases were grouped according to the level of occlusion. On delayed re-questioning, 23 of 29 respondents (79.3%) disagreed with themselves on at least 20% of cases. Respondents were willing to offer trial participation in 1295 of 1860 (69.6%) cases. CONCLUSIONS Individuals did not agree regarding the best management of patients with persistent distal occlusion after mechanical thrombectomy and IV thrombolysis. There is sufficient uncertainty to justify a dedicated randomized trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Boisseau
- From the Department of Interventional Neuroradiology (W.B., S.S.), Fondation Rothschild Hospital, Paris, France
- Department of Radiology (W.B., A.B., D.R, D.I., J.R.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Montréal, Canada
| | - A Benomar
- Department of Radiology (W.B., A.B., D.R, D.I., J.R.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Montréal, Canada
| | - C Ducroux
- Department of Neurology (C.D., R.F.), Ottawa Hospital Research Institute & University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - R Fahed
- Department of Neurology (C.D., R.F.), Ottawa Hospital Research Institute & University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - S Smajda
- From the Department of Interventional Neuroradiology (W.B., S.S.), Fondation Rothschild Hospital, Paris, France
| | - J D B Diestro
- Division of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Neuroradiology (J.D.B.D., R.O.), Department of Medical Imaging, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - G Charbonnier
- Interventional Neuroradiology Department (G.C.), Besançon University Hospital, Besançon, France
| | - J Ognard
- Interventional Neuroradiology Department (J.O.), Hôpital de la Cavale Blanche, Brest, Bretagne, France
| | - J Burel
- Department of Radiology (J. Burel), Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
| | - A Ter Schiphorst
- Neurology Department (A.T.S.), CHRU Gui de Chauliac, Montpellier, France
| | - M Boulanger
- Department of Neurology (M. Boulanger, A.N.), Caen University Hospital, Caen, France
| | - A Nehme
- Department of Neurology (M. Boulanger, A.N.), Caen University Hospital, Caen, France
| | - J Boucherit
- Department of Radiology (J. Boucherit), Rennes University Hospital, Rennes, France
| | - G Marnat
- Department of Neuroradiology (G. Marnat), University Hospital of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - D Volders
- From the Department of Interventional Neuroradiology (W.B., S.S.), Fondation Rothschild Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Q Holay
- Radiology Department (Q.H.), Hôpital d'Instruction des armées Saint-Anne, Toulon, France
| | - G Forestier
- Neuroradiology Department (G.F.), University Hospital of Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - M Bretzner
- Neuroradiology Department (M. Bretzner), CHU Lille, University Lille, Inserm, U1172 Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - D Roy
- Department of Radiology (W.B., A.B., D.R, D.I., J.R.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Montréal, Canada
| | - S Vingadassalom
- Interventional Neuroradiology Department (S.V.), CHRU Marseille, La Timone, France
| | - M Elhorany
- Department of Neuroradiology (M.E.), Groupe Hospitalier de Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
- Department of Neurology (M.E.), Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - L Nico
- Department of Radiology (L.N.), University Hospital of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - G Jacquin
- Neurovascular Health Program (G.J.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - M Abdalkader
- Department of Radiology (M.A.), Boston Medical Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - A Guedon
- Department of Neuroradiology (A.G.), Lariboisière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - P Seners
- Neurology Department (P.S.), Hôpital Fondation A. de Rothschild, Fondation Rothschild Hospital, Paris, France
- Institut de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences de Paris (P.S.), UMR_S1266, INSERM, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - K Janot
- Interventional Neuroradiology (K.J.), University Hospital of Tours, Tours, France
| | - V Dumas
- Radiology Department (V.D.), University Hospital of Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - R Olatunji
- Division of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Neuroradiology (J.D.B.D., R.O.), Department of Medical Imaging, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - S Gazzola
- From the Department of Interventional Neuroradiology (W.B., S.S.), Fondation Rothschild Hospital, Paris, France
- From the Department of Interventional Neuroradiology (W.B., S.S.), Fondation Rothschild Hospital, Paris, France
| | - G Milot
- Department of Radiology (W.B., A.B., D.R, D.I., J.R.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Montréal, Canada
- Department of Radiology (W.B., A.B., D.R, D.I., J.R.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Montréal, Canada
| | - J Zehr
- Department of Neurology (C.D., R.F.), Ottawa Hospital Research Institute & University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
- Department of Neurology (C.D., R.F.), Ottawa Hospital Research Institute & University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Neuroradiology (J.D.B.D., R.O.), Department of Medical Imaging, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Neuroradiology (J.D.B.D., R.O.), Department of Medical Imaging, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - D Iancu
- Department of Radiology (W.B., A.B., D.R, D.I., J.R.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Montréal, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- Department of Radiology (W.B., A.B., D.R, D.I., J.R.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Montréal, Canada
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Benomar A, Diestro JDB, Darabid H, Saydy K, Tzaneva L, Li J, Zarour E, Tanguay W, El Sayed N, Padilha IG, Létourneau-Guillon L, Bard C, Nelson K, Weill A, Roy D, Eneling J, Boisseau W, Nguyen TN, Abdalkader M, Najjar AA, Nehme A, Lemoine É, Jacquin G, Bergeron D, Brunette-Clément T, Chaalala C, Bojanowski MW, Labidi M, Jabre R, Ignacio KHD, Omar AT, Volders D, Dmytriw AA, Hak JF, Forestier G, Holay Q, Olatunji R, Alhabli I, Nico L, Shankar JJS, Guenego A, Pascual JLR, Marotta TR, Errázuriz JI, Lin AW, Alves AC, Fahed R, Hawkes C, Lee H, Magro E, Sheikhi L, Darsaut TE, Raymond J. Nonaneurysmal perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage on noncontrast head CT: An accuracy, inter-rater, and intra-rater reliability study. J Neuroradiol 2024:S0150-9861(24)00092-0. [PMID: 38387650 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurad.2024.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE To evaluate the reliability and accuracy of nonaneurysmal perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage (NAPSAH) on Noncontrast Head CT (NCCT) between numerous raters. MATERIALS AND METHODS 45 NCCT of adult patients with SAH who also had a catheter angiography (CA) were independently evaluated by 48 diverse raters; 45 raters performed a second assessment one month later. For each case, raters were asked: 1) whether they judged the bleeding pattern to be perimesencephalic; 2) whether there was blood anterior to brainstem; 3) complete filling of the anterior interhemispheric fissure (AIF); 4) extension to the lateral part of the sylvian fissure (LSF); 5) frank intraventricular hemorrhage; 6) whether in the hypothetical presence of a negative CT angiogram they would still recommend CA. An automatic NAPSAH diagnosis was also generated by combining responses to questions 2-5. Reliability was estimated using Gwet's AC1 (κG), and the relationship between the NCCT diagnosis of NAPSAH and the recommendation to perform CA using Cramer's V test. Multi-rater accuracy of NCCT in predicting negative CA was explored. RESULTS Inter-rater reliability for the presence of NAPSAH was moderate (κG = 0.58; 95%CI: 0.47, 0.69), but improved to substantial when automatically generated (κG = 0.70; 95%CI: 0.59, 0.81). The most reliable criteria were the absence of AIF filling (κG = 0.79) and extension to LSF (κG = 0.79). Mean intra-rater reliability was substantial (κG = 0.65). NAPSAH weakly correlated with CA decision (V = 0.50). Mean sensitivity and specificity were 58% (95%CI: 44%, 71%) and 83 % (95%CI: 72 %, 94%), respectively. CONCLUSION NAPSAH remains a diagnosis of exclusion. The NCCT diagnosis was moderately reliable and its impact on clinical decisions modest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anass Benomar
- Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada. https://twitter.com/AnassBenomarMD
| | - Jose Danilo B Diestro
- Division of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, ON, Canada. https://twitter.com/DanniDiestro
| | - Houssam Darabid
- Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Karim Saydy
- Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Lora Tzaneva
- Department of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jimmy Li
- Division of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS), Sherbrooke, QC, Canada. https://twitter.com/neuroloJimmy
| | - Eleyine Zarour
- Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada. https://twitter.com/eleyine
| | - William Tanguay
- Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nohad El Sayed
- Department of Radiology, McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Igor Gomes Padilha
- Division of Neuroradiology, Diagnósticos da América SA - DASA, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Division of Neuroradiology, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Sciences, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Division of Neuroradiology, United Health Group, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Laurent Létourneau-Guillon
- Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada. https://twitter.com/LaurentLetG
| | - Céline Bard
- Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kristoff Nelson
- Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alain Weill
- Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Daniel Roy
- Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Johanna Eneling
- Department of Neurosurgery, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden
| | - William Boisseau
- Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild, Paris, France
| | - Thanh N Nguyen
- Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Radiology, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA. https://twitter.com/NguyenThanhMD
| | - Mohamad Abdalkader
- Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Radiology, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA. https://twitter.com/AbdalkaderMD
| | - Ahmed A Najjar
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia. https://twitter.com/AhmedANajjar
| | - Ahmad Nehme
- Université Caen-Normandie, Neurology, CHU Caen-Normandie, Caen, France. https://twitter.com/ANehme
| | - Émile Lemoine
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada. https://twitter.com/lemoineemile
| | - Gregory Jacquin
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - David Bergeron
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada. https://twitter.com/David__Bergeron
| | - Tristan Brunette-Clément
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada. https://twitter.com/BrunetteClement
| | - Chiraz Chaalala
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Michel W Bojanowski
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Moujahed Labidi
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Roland Jabre
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Katrina H D Ignacio
- Calgary Stroke Program, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, AB, Canada. https://twitter.com/Katha_MD
| | - Abdelsimar T Omar
- Division of Neurosurgery, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. https://twitter.com/atomar_md
| | - David Volders
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Adam A Dmytriw
- Division of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, ON, Canada; Neuroendovascular Program, Massachusetts General Hospital & Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. https://twitter.com/AdamDmytriw
| | - Jean-François Hak
- Department of Medical Imaging, University Hospital Timone APHM, Marseille, France. https://twitter.com/JFHak
| | - Géraud Forestier
- Department of neuroradiology, University Hospital of Limoges, Limoges, France. https://twitter.com/GeraudForestier
| | - Quentin Holay
- Department of Radiology, Sainte-Anne Military Hospital, Toulon, France
| | - Richard Olatunji
- Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. https://twitter.com/RICHARDOlat
| | - Ibrahim Alhabli
- Calgary Stroke Program, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Foothills Medical Centre, Calgary, AB, Canada. https://twitter.com/ialhabli
| | - Lorena Nico
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Jai J S Shankar
- Department of Radiology, Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. https://twitter.com/shivajai1
| | - Adrien Guenego
- Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Erasme University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium. https://twitter.com/GuenegoAdrien
| | - Jose L R Pascual
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Philippine General Hospital, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines. https://twitter.com/drbrainhacker
| | - Thomas R Marotta
- Division of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, ON, Canada. https://twitter.com/trmarot
| | - Juan I Errázuriz
- Department of Radiology, McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Amy W Lin
- Division of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Aderaldo Costa Alves
- Division of Neurosurgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. https://twitter.com/jr_aderaldo
| | - Robert Fahed
- Division of Neurology, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Christine Hawkes
- Division of Neurology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. https://twitter.com/CMHawkes
| | - Hubert Lee
- Division of Neurosurgery, Trillium Health Partners, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Elsa Magro
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hôpital de la Cavale Blanche, CHRU de Brest, Brest, France
| | - Lila Sheikhi
- Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA. https://twitter.com/lila_sheikhi
| | - Tim E Darsaut
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, AB, Canada. https://twitter.com/tdarsaut
| | - Jean Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Darsaut TE, Raymond J. Extracranial-Intracranial Bypass in Patients With Symptomatic Artery Occlusion. JAMA 2023; 330:2396. [PMID: 38147098 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2023.21999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tim E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Jean Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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Darsaut TE, Raymond J. Clinical decisions based on reasons that reason should ignore. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101496. [PMID: 37742488 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2023.101496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- T E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, 8440 112 St NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Raymond J, Valvassori L, Darsaut TE. Understanding the role of randomization in clinical research and practice. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101492. [PMID: 37742489 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2023.101492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The scientific role randomization plays in clinical research is universally recognized, but poorly understood. In stark contrast, the ethical role randomization plays in the proper care of patients in the presence of uncertainty has been almost completely ignored. METHODS We review the introduction of randomization in the design of experiments, its first use in Britain, and its essential role in analysis of statistical results. We also review Thomas Chalmers' argument from 1975 that showed the ethical role randomization can play in the care of patients. We discuss how Chalmers' vision can be generalized to all contexts of clinical uncertainty. DISCUSSION Randomization is not only essential to the validity of statistical tests, it is also the best way to learn from experience. Although Chalmers' admonition to 'Randomize the first patient' pertained to the use of innovations, the notion that randomized allocation can be done in the best interest of patients is generalizable to all medical or surgical interventions that have yet to be proven beneficial, opening the perspective that care research can be integrated into practice in the best medical interest of patients. CONCLUSION Randomized allocation plays crucial scientific and ethical roles both in research and practice. It is the most efficient way to learn from experience. Prior to this gain in knowledge, it is the way to optimize care in the presence of uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | | | - Tim E Darsaut
- University of Alberta Hospital, Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Raymond J, Darsaut TE. Understanding categories or subgroups and a common clinical reasoning error: the example of aneurysm size and neck width. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101491. [PMID: 37734248 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2023.101491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individualized clinical decisions are often made by considering some patient or lesion characteristics that are thought to have an impact on the efficacy or safety of treatment. For example, aneurysm size and neck width have often been determinants of treatment choices in neurovascular practice. METHODS We review observational and randomized data on the influence of aneurysm or neck size on angiographic results of coiling, stent-assisted coiling, or surgical clipping. New RCT data are used to demonstrate the shortcomings of managing patients using clinical judgment regarding patient or lesion characteristics. We discuss why clinical decisions should not be based on comparisons of different patients treated by the same treatment. Clinical decision making requires a comparison between the same patients treated with different treatments in a randomized trial. RESULTS The results of endovascular treatment of large or wide-necked aneurysms are always inferior to those of small or narrow-necked aneurysms, in observational as well as in randomized studies. However, this fact alone is not sufficient to infer that patients with small aneurysms should be coiled, while those with large aneurysms should be managed with stenting or surgical clipping. The purported superiority of clipping for large aneurysms could not be demonstrated in recent RCTs (while surgery was found superior for small aneurysms). Similarly, the superiority of stent-assisted coiling for wide-necked aneurysms was not shown in another recent RCT. CONCLUSION Clinical experience and observational studies alone can mislead practice. Proper clinical decisions for individuals requires randomized evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Tim E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, 8440 112 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Chan VKY, Darsaut TE, Raymond J. Cross-overs and design issues in lumbar discectomy trials. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101462. [PMID: 37419080 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2023.101462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- V K Y Chan
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, 8440 112 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, 8440 112 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Chan VKY, Darsaut TE, Bailey CS, Raymond J. Understanding crossovers and potential ways to mitigate the problem: Lessons from influential trials on lumbar microdiscectomy. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101461. [PMID: 37450957 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2023.101461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lumbar microdiscectomy is the most frequent surgical intervention used in the treatment of sciatica from herniated lumbar discs. Many discectomy trials have been plagued with an excessive number of crossovers that have rendered results inconclusive. METHODS We review the design and results of influential lumbar microdiscectomy trials. We also discuss the various strategies that have been used to decrease the number of crossovers or to mitigate the effects of crossovers on analyses. RESULTS Randomized trials on lumbar discectomy were affected by crossover rates of 8% to 42%. Various strategies that have been used to decrease that number or to mitigate the effects on results include: patient selection, blinding (placebo-controlled trials), an immediate access to surgery for the surgical group (but limited access to surgery for the conservative group), shortening the follow-up period necessary to reach the primary outcome measure, postponing crossovers to surgery after determination of the primary outcome, and modifying the primary outcome measure to include treatment failures. Crossovers should be anticipated and compensated for by increasing the number of participants. CONCLUSION Non-adherence to randomly allocated management options can deprive trials of the statistical power needed to inform clinical care. Crossovers and ways to mitigate related problems should be anticipated at the time of trial design.
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Affiliation(s)
- V K Y Chan
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, University of Alberta Hospital, 8440 112, Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, University of Alberta Hospital, 8440 112, Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - C S Bailey
- Department of Surgery, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- Department of Radiology, centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Raymond J, Darsaut TE. Reply. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2023; 44:E36-E37. [PMID: 37500283 PMCID: PMC10411846 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a7958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J Raymond
- Department of RadiologyCentre Hospitalier de l'Université de MontréalMontreal, Québec, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- University of Alberta HospitalEdmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Raymond J, Chan VKY, Darsaut TE. Understanding how the research question impacts trial design: Examples from discectomy trials. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101460. [PMID: 37413815 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2023.101460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Formulating a pertinent research question is of the utmost importance in clinical research. An ill-conceived question may lead to an erroneous trial design, which may adversely affect the care of patients and provide uninformative or even misleading results. METHODS We review the research question of a randomized trial on the timing of lumbar discectomy. We compare the resulting design with other trials, real or hypothetical, that would have been more appropriate. RESULTS The RCT we examine randomly allocated patients to early or delayed surgery to answer a theoretical question of the effect of time on the efficacy of surgery. The trial was interpreted to have shown that early surgery was associated with better clinical and functional outcomes as compared to delayed surgery. This conclusion is clinically misleading. Valid comparisons between groups should be performed on intent-to-treat analyses and at the same time points after randomization (and not at a fixed follow-up period after surgery). The clinically pertinent comparison is not between the theoretical efficacy of surgery performed at various times, but between surgery and conservative management in patients presenting at various times. Better-designed trials on the clinical benefits of lumbar discectomy, including the treatment of chronic sciatica, have been published. CONCLUSION Theoretical research questions inspired from observational data can lead to erroneous trial design. Prospective randomized trials impact practice immediately: they are unique occasions to address clinical problems and optimize care under uncertainty in real time. However, they require the research question to be formulated with great care.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Raymond
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Radiology, service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - V K Y Chan
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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13
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Darsaut TE, Raymond J. 'It is not the answer which enlightens, but the question'. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101446. [PMID: 37178487 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2023.101446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- T E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, University of Alberta Hospital, 8440 112 St NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), room D03.5462b, Montreal, H2X 0C1 Quebec, Canada.
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Raymond J, Darsaut TE, Eneling J, Chagnon M. The small trial problem. Trials 2023; 24:426. [PMID: 37349843 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-023-07348-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many randomized trials that aim to assess new or commonly used medical or surgical interventions have been so small that the validity of conclusions becomes questionable. METHODS We illustrate the small trial problem using the power calculation of five Cochrane-reviewed studies that compared vertebroplasty versus placebo interventions. We discuss some of the reasons why the statistical admonition not to dichotomize continuous variables may not apply to the calculation of the number of patients required for trials to be meaningful. RESULTS Placebo-controlled vertebroplasty trials planned to recruit between 23 and 71 patients per group. Four of five studies used the standardized mean difference of a continuous pain variable (centimeters on the visual analog scale (VAS)) to plan implausibly small trials. What is needed is not a mean effect at the population level but a measure of efficacy at the patient level. Clinical practice concerns the care of individual patients that vary in many more respects than the variation around the mean of a single selected variable. The inference from trial to practice concerns the frequency of success of the experimental intervention performed one patient at a time. A comparison of the proportions of patients reaching a certain threshold is a more meaningful method that appropriately requires larger trials. CONCLUSION Most placebo-controlled vertebroplasty trials used comparisons of means of a continuous variable and were consequently very small. Randomized trials should instead be large enough to account for the diversity of future patients and practices. They should offer an evaluation of a clinically meaningful number of interventions performed in various contexts. Implications of this principle are not specific to placebo-controlled surgical trials. Trials designed to inform practice require a per-patient comparison of outcomes and the size of the trial should be planned accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de L'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, H2X 0C1, Canada.
| | - Tim E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Johanna Eneling
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de L'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, H2X 0C1, Canada
| | - Miguel Chagnon
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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15
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Darsaut TE, Findlay JM, Bojanowski MW, Chalaala C, Iancu D, Roy D, Weill A, Boisseau W, Diouf A, Magro E, Kotowski M, Keough MB, Estrade L, Bricout N, Lejeune JP, Chow MMC, O'Kelly CJ, Rempel JL, Ashforth RA, Lesiuk H, Sinclair J, Erdenebold UE, Wong JH, Scholtes F, Martin D, Otto B, Bilocq A, Truffer E, Butcher K, Fox AJ, Arthur AS, Létourneau-Guillon L, Guilbert F, Chagnon M, Zehr J, Farzin B, Gevry G, Raymond J. A Pragmatic Randomized Trial Comparing Surgical Clipping and Endovascular Treatment of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2023; 44:634-640. [PMID: 37169541 PMCID: PMC10249696 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a7865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Surgical clipping and endovascular treatment are commonly used in patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms. We compared the safety and efficacy of the 2 treatments in a randomized trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS Clipping or endovascular treatments were randomly allocated to patients with one or more 3- to 25-mm unruptured intracranial aneurysms judged treatable both ways by participating physicians. The study hypothesized that clipping would decrease the incidence of treatment failure from 13% to 4%, a composite primary outcome defined as failure of aneurysm occlusion, intracranial hemorrhage during follow-up, or residual aneurysms at 1 year, as adjudicated by a core lab. Safety outcomes included new neurologic deficits following treatment, hospitalization of >5 days, and overall morbidity and mortality (mRS > 2) at 1 year. There was no blinding. RESULTS Two hundred ninety-one patients were enrolled from 2010 to 2020 in 7 centers. The 1-year primary outcome, ascertainable in 290/291 (99%) patients, was reached in 13/142 (9%; 95% CI, 5%-15%) patients allocated to surgery and in 28/148 (19%; 95% CI, 13%-26%) patients allocated to endovascular treatments (relative risk: 2.07; 95% CI, 1.12-3.83; P = .021). Morbidity and mortality (mRS >2) at 1 year occurred in 3/143 and 3/148 (2%; 95% CI, 1%-6%) patients allocated to surgery and endovascular treatments, respectively. Neurologic deficits (32/143, 22%; 95% CI, 16%-30% versus 19/148, 12%; 95% CI, 8%-19%; relative risk: 1.74; 95% CI, 1.04-2.92; P = .04) and hospitalizations beyond 5 days (69/143, 48%; 95% CI, 40%-56% versus 12/148, 8%; 95% CI, 5%-14%; relative risk: 0.18; 95% CI, 0.11-0.31; P < .001) were more frequent after surgery. CONCLUSIONS Surgical clipping is more effective than endovascular treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms in terms of the frequency of the primary outcome of treatment failure. Results were mainly driven by angiographic results at 1 year.
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Affiliation(s)
- T E Darsaut
- From the Division of Neurosurgery (T.E.D., J.M.F., M.B.K., M.M.C.C., C.J.O.)
| | - J M Findlay
- From the Division of Neurosurgery (T.E.D., J.M.F., M.B.K., M.M.C.C., C.J.O.)
| | | | | | - D Iancu
- Department of Surgery, and Service of Neuroradiology (D.I., D.R., A.W., W.B., A.D., M.K., L.L.-G., F.G., J.R.), Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - D Roy
- Department of Surgery, and Service of Neuroradiology (D.I., D.R., A.W., W.B., A.D., M.K., L.L.-G., F.G., J.R.), Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - A Weill
- Department of Surgery, and Service of Neuroradiology (D.I., D.R., A.W., W.B., A.D., M.K., L.L.-G., F.G., J.R.), Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - W Boisseau
- Department of Surgery, and Service of Neuroradiology (D.I., D.R., A.W., W.B., A.D., M.K., L.L.-G., F.G., J.R.), Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - A Diouf
- Department of Surgery, and Service of Neuroradiology (D.I., D.R., A.W., W.B., A.D., M.K., L.L.-G., F.G., J.R.), Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - E Magro
- Service of Neurosurgery (E.M.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Cavale Blanche, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité Mixte de Recherche 1101 LaTIM, Brest, France
| | - M Kotowski
- Department of Surgery, and Service of Neuroradiology (D.I., D.R., A.W., W.B., A.D., M.K., L.L.-G., F.G., J.R.), Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - M B Keough
- From the Division of Neurosurgery (T.E.D., J.M.F., M.B.K., M.M.C.C., C.J.O.)
| | - L Estrade
- Interventional Neuroradiology (L.E., N.B.)
| | - N Bricout
- Interventional Neuroradiology (L.E., N.B.)
| | - J-P Lejeune
- Service of Neurosurgery (J.-P.L.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Lille, Lille, France
| | - M M C Chow
- From the Division of Neurosurgery (T.E.D., J.M.F., M.B.K., M.M.C.C., C.J.O.)
| | - C J O'Kelly
- From the Division of Neurosurgery (T.E.D., J.M.F., M.B.K., M.M.C.C., C.J.O.)
| | - J L Rempel
- Department of Surgery, and Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging (J.L.R., R.A.A.), Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - R A Ashforth
- Department of Surgery, and Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging (J.L.R., R.A.A.), Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - H Lesiuk
- Section of Neurosurgery (H.L., J.S.)
| | | | - U-E Erdenebold
- Department of Surgery, and Department of Medical Imaging (U.-E.E.), Section of Interventional Neuroradiology, Ottawa Hospital, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - J H Wong
- Division of Neurosurgery (J.H.W.), Foothills Medical Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - F Scholtes
- Departments of Neurosurgery (F.S., D.M.)
| | - D Martin
- Departments of Neurosurgery (F.S., D.M.)
| | - B Otto
- Medical Physics (B.O.), Division of Medical Imaging, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - A Bilocq
- Service of Neurosurgery (A.B., E.T.), Centre Hospitalier Régional de Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada
| | - E Truffer
- Service of Neurosurgery (A.B., E.T.), Centre Hospitalier Régional de Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada
| | - K Butcher
- Clinical Neurosciences (K.B.), Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - A J Fox
- Department of Medical Imaging (A.J.F.), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - A S Arthur
- Department of Neurosurgery (A.S.A.), University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Semmes-Murphey Clinic, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - L Létourneau-Guillon
- Department of Surgery, and Service of Neuroradiology (D.I., D.R., A.W., W.B., A.D., M.K., L.L.-G., F.G., J.R.), Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - F Guilbert
- Department of Surgery, and Service of Neuroradiology (D.I., D.R., A.W., W.B., A.D., M.K., L.L.-G., F.G., J.R.), Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - M Chagnon
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics (M.C., J.Z.), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - J Zehr
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics (M.C., J.Z.), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - B Farzin
- Research Centre of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre (B.F., G.G., J.R.), Interventional Neuroradiology Research Laboratory, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - G Gevry
- Research Centre of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre (B.F., G.G., J.R.), Interventional Neuroradiology Research Laboratory, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- Department of Surgery, and Service of Neuroradiology (D.I., D.R., A.W., W.B., A.D., M.K., L.L.-G., F.G., J.R.), Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
- Research Centre of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre (B.F., G.G., J.R.), Interventional Neuroradiology Research Laboratory, Montreal, Québec, Canada
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16
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Boisseau W, Darsaut TE, Fahed R, Drake B, Lesiuk H, Rempel JL, Gentric JC, Ognard J, Nico L, Iancu D, Roy D, Weill A, Chagnon M, Zehr J, Lavoie P, Nguyen TN, Raymond J. Stent-Assisted Coiling in the Treatment of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms: A Randomized Clinical Trial. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2023; 44:381-389. [PMID: 36927759 PMCID: PMC10084896 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a7815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Stent-assisted coiling may improve angiographic results of endovascular treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms compared with coiling alone, but this has never been shown in a randomized trial. MATERIALS AND METHODS The Stenting in the Treatment of Aneurysm Trial was an investigator-led, parallel, randomized (1:1) trial conducted in 4 university hospitals. Patients with intracranial aneurysms at risk of recurrence, defined as large aneurysms (≥10 mm), postcoiling recurrent aneurysms, or small aneurysms with a wide neck (≥4 mm), were randomly allocated to stent-assisted coiling or coiling alone. The composite primary efficacy outcome was "treatment failure," defined as initial failure to treat the aneurysm; aneurysm rupture or retreatment during follow-up; death or dependency (mRS > 2); or an angiographic residual aneurysm adjudicated by an independent core laboratory at 12 months. The primary hypothesis (revised for slow accrual) was that stent-assisted coiling would decrease treatment failures from 33% to 15%, requiring 200 patients. Primary analyses were intent to treat. RESULTS Of 205 patients recruited between 2011 and 2021, ninety-four were allocated to stent-assisted coiling and 111 to coiling alone. The primary outcome, ascertainable in 203 patients, was reached in 28/93 patients allocated to stent-assisted coiling (30.1%; 95% CI, 21.2%-40.6%) compared with 30/110 (27.3%; 95% CI, 19.4%-36.7%) allocated to coiling alone (relative risk = 1.10; 95% CI, 0.7-1.7; P = .66). Poor clinical outcomes (mRS >2) occurred in 8/94 patients allocated to stent-assisted coiling (8.5%; 95% CI, 4.0%-16.6%) compared with 6/111 (5.4%; 95% CI, 2.2%-11.9%) allocated to coiling alone (relative risk = 1.6; 95% CI, 0.6%-4.4%; P = .38). CONCLUSIONS The STAT trial did not show stent-assisted coiling to be superior to coiling alone for wide-neck, large, or recurrent unruptured aneurysms.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Boisseau
- From the Department of Radiology (W.B., D.I., D.R., A.W., J.R.), Service of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- Department of Surgery (T.E.D.), Division of Neurosurgery
| | - R Fahed
- Departments of Neurology (R.F.)
| | - B Drake
- Neurosurgery (B.D., H.L.), University of Ottawa, the Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - H Lesiuk
- Neurosurgery (B.D., H.L.), University of Ottawa, the Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - J L Rempel
- Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging (J.L.R.), University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J-C Gentric
- Department of Radiology (J.-C.G., J.O.), University Hospital of Brest, Brest, France
| | - J Ognard
- Department of Radiology (J.-C.G., J.O.), University Hospital of Brest, Brest, France
| | - L Nico
- Departement of Radiology (L.N.), Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalo-universitaire de Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - D Iancu
- From the Department of Radiology (W.B., D.I., D.R., A.W., J.R.), Service of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - D Roy
- From the Department of Radiology (W.B., D.I., D.R., A.W., J.R.), Service of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - A Weill
- From the Department of Radiology (W.B., D.I., D.R., A.W., J.R.), Service of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - M Chagnon
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics (M.C., J.Z.), Pavillon André-Aisenstadt, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - J Zehr
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics (M.C., J.Z.), Pavillon André-Aisenstadt, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - P Lavoie
- Department of Neurosurgery (P.L.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec-Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - T N Nguyen
- Departments of Neurology (T.N.N.)
- Radiology (T.N.N.), Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - J Raymond
- From the Department of Radiology (W.B., D.I., D.R., A.W., J.R.), Service of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
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Raymond J, Rheaume AR, Olijnyk L, Lecaros NE, Darsaut TE. Understanding the difference between theory and practice: The extracranial-intracranial bypass trials in prevention of ischemic stroke. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101407. [PMID: 36689827 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2023.101407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with atherosclerotic carotid or middle cerebral artery occlusions suffer ischemic events that might theoretically be preventable with a surgical extracranial-intracranial bypass, but theory by itself does not justify surgical interventions. METHODS We review landmark randomized trials on EC-IC bypass surgery for the treatment of ischemic stroke in patients with atherosclerotic stenoses or occlusions. RESULTS The initial EC-IC bypass trial from 1985 did not show any clinical benefit from surgery. The carotid occlusion surgery study (COSS) performed more than 20 years later included only patients highly selected to potentially benefit from bypass by using modern perfusion studies. While EC-IC bypasses were successfully created and they did improve cerebral perfusion, the COSS study also failed to show any clinical benefit to the participating patients. CONCLUSION Neurosurgical interventions must not only work in theory; they must improve patient outcomes in real practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Raymond
- Department of radiology, Service of neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.
| | - A R Rheaume
- Division of neurosurgery, Department of surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - L Olijnyk
- Department of radiology, Service of neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - N E Lecaros
- Department of radiology, Service of neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of neurosurgery, Department of surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Collins J, Benomar A, Iancu D, Farzin B, Darsaut TE, Raymond J. Research participants may not recall their participation but have a better understanding of alternative management options than patients in routine care. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101392. [PMID: 36669431 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.101392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patient understanding of care interventions, of the clinical uncertainty, and of their participation in clinical research is often poor. We hypothesized that compared to routine care, patients would better understand the prevailing uncertainty when they participated in research. METHODS A questionnaire was administered to patients at the time they attended a follow-up neurovascular clinic 4 to 52 weeks after a care episode where they did or did not participate in a clinical trial. Patients were not reminded whether they had previously participated in a clinical trial. Questions concerned their understanding of the risks/benefits of interventions, the availability of alternative options, whether their personal opinion was taken into consideration, the reason for the final decision, their confidence at having received the best management, and whether they had been research participants. RESULTS Between June 2019 and June 2020, 167 patients were recruited; 71 had truly been research participants, while 96 had not. A greater proportion of research patients were aware of the existence of management alternatives (65% versus 44%; P=0.008). Patients of both groups believed their personal opinion counted in the final decision (76% versus 70%), and patients were equally confident that they had received the best management (94%). Research patients believed they had participated in research 46% of the time, compared to 12% of routine care patients (P=0.003). CONCLUSION Many patients do not recall that they participated in a clinical trial, but they have a better understanding of the clinical uncertainty and of the availability of alternative management options.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Collins
- Interventional Neuroradiology Research laboratory, CHUM Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - A Benomar
- Interventional Neuroradiology Research laboratory, CHUM Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Radiology, service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - D Iancu
- Interventional Neuroradiology Research laboratory, CHUM Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Radiology, service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - B Farzin
- Interventional Neuroradiology Research laboratory, CHUM Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- Interventional Neuroradiology Research laboratory, CHUM Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Radiology, service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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19
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Rheaume AR, Olijnyk L, Lecaros NE, Darsaut TE, Raymond J. Understanding how the primary endpoint impacts the interpretation of trial results: The Japanese Adult Moyamoya bypass trial. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101408. [PMID: 36701981 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2023.101408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The meaning of a clinical trial depends to a large extent on the choice of the primary outcome measure, which can be explanatory or pragmatic. METHODS We review the Japanese Adult Moyamoya (JAM) trial, that compared surgical extracranial to intracranial (EC-IC) bypass and medical management of hemorrhagic moyamoya disease. We also review some principles which guide the selection of the primary trial endpoint. DISCUSSION The main component of the primary outcome measure in JAM was rebleeding, a surrogate outcome that allowed investigators to demonstrate that surgical bypass had causal efficacy. However, the number of patients with a poor outcome, defined as those with a modified Rankin score (mRS)>2, would have been a more pragmatic choice. Unfortunately, the trial was too small to show that patients benefited from surgery. CONCLUSION The JAM trial showed that EC-IC bypass can decrease rebleeding in moyamoya patients, but whether patients have better outcomes with surgery remains uncertain. Hard pragmatic clinical primary outcome measures are necessary to guide surgical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- A R Rheaume
- Division of neurosurgery, department of surgery, university of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - L Olijnyk
- Department of radiology, service of neuroradiology, centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - N E Lecaros
- Department of radiology, service of neuroradiology, centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of neurosurgery, department of surgery, university of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- Department of radiology, service of neuroradiology, centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Raymond J, Olijnyk L, Lecaros NE, Rheaume AR, Darsaut TE. When successful surgery may not be beneficial to patients. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101406. [PMID: 36706512 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2023.101406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J Raymond
- Centre hospitalier de l'université de Montreal, Montreal, Canada.
| | - L Olijnyk
- Centre hospitalier de l'université de Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - N E Lecaros
- Centre hospitalier de l'université de Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - A R Rheaume
- Division of neurosurgery, department of surgery, university of Alberta hospital, Mackenzie health sciences centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of neurosurgery, department of surgery, university of Alberta hospital, Mackenzie health sciences centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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21
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Eneling J, Darsaut TE, Raymond J. Trying to learn research methodology from the vertebroplasty saga. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101400. [PMID: 36608448 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.101400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J Eneling
- Department of Radiology, service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- Department of Radiology, service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Darsaut TE, Collins J, Raymond J. Patients may be right: Clinical research should be designed in their best medical interest. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101391. [PMID: 36608449 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.101391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- T E Darsaut
- University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, 112 Street, 8440 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Collins
- Centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal - CHUM, Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, 1000, St-Denis street room, D03-5462B Montreal, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- Centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal - CHUM, Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, 1000, St-Denis street room, D03-5462B Montreal, Canada.
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23
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Eneling J, Darsaut TE, Patel M, Raymond J. Understanding explanatory and pragmatic trials: Examples from randomized controlled trials on vertebroplasty. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101403. [PMID: 36566693 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.101403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To better understand the explanatory-pragmatic distinction in the design and interpretation of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS We review the explanatory-pragmatic distinction in clinical trial design. We use the PRECIS-2 tool to evaluate the trial design of selected RCTs on percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. We discuss difficulties in the selection of criteria and in the construction of PRECIS diagrams. We also examine how inconsistency in the selection of various items of trial design can cause confusion in the interpretation of results. RESULTS The selection of criteria and the scoring of multiple PRECIS domains were subjective and thus debatable. The pragmascope patterns of various vertebroplasty trials were heterogeneous. Many trials had both pragmatic and explanatory components. Some placebo-controlled trial goals seem to have been explanatory, but their design actually included enough pragmatic items such that the meaning of negative trial results remains ambiguous. CONCLUSION The results of a trial cannot be interpreted without understanding the various design choices made along the explanatory-pragmatic spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Eneling
- Department of radiology, service of neuroradiology, centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of neurosurgery, department of surgery, university of Alberta hospital, Mackenzie health sciences centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - M Patel
- Division of neurosurgery, department of surgery, university of Alberta hospital, Mackenzie health sciences centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- Department of radiology, service of neuroradiology, centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Eneling J, Darsaut TE, Veilleux C, Raymond J. Understanding power in randomized trials: The example of vertebroplasty. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101402. [PMID: 36621210 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.101402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Randomized trials (RCTs) should include a sufficient number of patients to reduce the risk that the observed outcome is a result of chance rather than from a truly different treatment effect. Trials must be even larger to claim an absence of treatment effect in a placebo-controlled trial. To estimate the size of the trial and maximize power, it is often suggested to use a comparison between the means of a continuous variable. METHODS We examine the RCTs that have compared vertebroplasty and placebo for patients with osteoporotic fractures. Most trials compared the means of a continuous pain score to yield implausibly small trials, as small as 24 patients per group. RESULTS The minimally significant difference between groups has no precise clinical meaning for patients when it is based on a comparison of means of pain scores. A comparison of the proportions of patients reaching a per-patient outcome measure of treatment success is much more pertinent if the trial is to inform the care of future patients. The resulting trials will admittedly need to be larger, but they will be much less likely to fall prey to the 'evidence of absence' fallacy. Furthermore, trial size should also take into consideration harder clinical outcome measures, such as death and disability. CONCLUSION When the goal of a trial is to inform outcome-based medical care, comparing the proportions of patients reaching a clinically pertinent outcome is more appropriate than comparing the means of a continuous variable.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Eneling
- Department of radiology, service of neuroradiology, centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of neurosurgery, department of surgery, university of Alberta hospital, Mackenzie health sciences centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - C Veilleux
- Division of neurosurgery, department of clinical neurosciences, university of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- Department of radiology, service of neuroradiology, centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Darsaut TE, Chagnon M, Raymond J. Reply. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2023; 44:E9-E10. [PMID: 36574315 PMCID: PMC9835901 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a7732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T E Darsaut
- Department of Surgery, Division of NeurosurgeryMackenzie Health Sciences CentreUniversity of Alberta HospitalEdmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - M Chagnon
- Department of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversité de MontréalMontreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional NeuroradiologyCentre Hospitalier de l'Université de MontréalMontreal, Quebec, Canada
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Raymond J, Collins J, Darsaut TE. Understanding the research-care demarcation and why it must be revised. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101393. [PMID: 36566695 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.101393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A clean-cut separation between research and care was artificially created at the time of the Belmont report more than 40 years ago. The demarcation was initially controversial but eventually was implemented for political reasons. We examine why it must be revised. METHODS We review historical research scandals as well as the theoretical basis for the Belmont demarcation. We then discuss consequences on medical practice and propose an alternative. DISCUSSION Most research scandals involved abusing human beings supposedly for the sake of science. Belmont commissioners were aware the research/care problem was double-headed. While research subjects should be protected from abuse in the research context, patients need to be protected from unvalidated medical and surgical interventions in the care context. For political reasons the Commission recommended the regulation of research but to leave medical practice untouched. Thus the Commission had to distinguish research from care. The notion of 'generalizable knowledge' was introduced to define and regulate research, but the inadvertent result was that by trying to protect research subjects, the regulation has not only failed to protect all other patients, but also encouraged the widespread practice of unvalidated interventions within the care context. The notion of validated care should be re-introduced into a proper analysis of the care-research demarcation, for care research is an integral ingredient of a good medical practice. CONCLUSION The research-care demarcation should be revised to leave room for the validated/unvalidated care distinction. Care research, essential to guide medical practice, should be facilitated at all levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Raymond
- Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal-CHUM, Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, 1000 St-Denis, Montreal H2X 0C1, Canada.
| | - J Collins
- Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal-CHUM, Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, 1000 St-Denis, Montreal H2X 0C1, Canada.
| | - T E Darsaut
- University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, 8440 - 112 Street, Edmonton T6G 2B7, Alberta, Canada.
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27
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Eneling J, Darsaut TE, Veilleux C, Raymond J. Understanding the choice of control group: A systematic review of vertebroplasty trials for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. Neurochirurgie 2023; 69:101401. [PMID: 36566694 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.101401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To better understand the choice of the comparator intervention in the design of clinical trials and its impact on the meaning of results we review randomized trials on vertebroplasty. METHODS We conducted a systematic and narrative review of all randomized trials on vertebroplasty. Trials are categorized according to the comparator intervention (non-surgical management, placebo/sham vertebroplasty, and kyphoplasty). RESULTS All trials were too small to show a difference in objective clinical outcomes, and 20 of 23 RCTs used mean pain scores to compare interventions. Most trials comparing vertebroplasty with non-surgical management concluded that vertebroplasty was superior. Trials comparing kyphoplasty with vertebroplasty showed similar results for both interventions. However, 4 of 5 trials comparing vertebroplasty with placebo surgery failed to show a significant difference between groups. CONCLUSION The clinical results of an intervention cannot be interpreted without a comparison that involves a control group. The choice of comparator intervention can change the meaning of the trial. A large pragmatic trial, using hard clinical outcomes such as morbidity and mortality as a primary outcome measure, would be needed to assess the potential clinical benefits of vertebroplasty.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Eneling
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - C Veilleux
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Raymond J, Obaid S, Darsaut TE. Why are surgical trials so difficult to accomplish, and then considered so definitive? Neurochirurgie 2022; 68:560-561. [PMID: 35787923 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - S Obaid
- Department of Neurosurgery, Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Raymond J, Darsaut TE. Lessons from landmark studies on the treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms. Neurochirurgie 2022; 68:469-470. [PMID: 35272856 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J Raymond
- Department of Radiology, service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), room D03.5462b, H2X 0C1 Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, 8440 112 St NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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30
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Raymond J, Darsaut TE. Reporting the outcomes of medical or surgical treatments: The Tower of Babel. Neurochirurgie 2022; 68:483-484. [PMID: 35654612 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J Raymond
- Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Department of Radiology, room D03.5462b, Montreal H2X 0C1, Quebec, Canada.
| | - T E Darsaut
- University of Alberta hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Raymond J, Gentric JC, Magro E, Nico L, Bacchus E, Klink R, Cognard C, Januel AC, Sabatier JF, Iancu D, Weill A, Roy D, Bojanowski MW, Chaalala C, Barreau X, Jecko V, Papagiannaki C, Derrey S, Shotar E, Cornu P, Eker OF, Pelissou-Guyotat I, Piotin M, Aldea S, Beaujeux R, Proust F, Anxionnat R, Costalat V, Corre ML, Gauvrit JY, Morandi X, Brunel H, Roche PH, Graillon T, Chabert E, Herbreteau D, Desal H, Trystram D, Barbier C, Gaberel T, Nguyen TN, Viard G, Gevry G, Darsaut TE, _ _, _ _, Raymond J, Roy D, Weill A, Iancu D, Bojanowski MW, Chaalala C, Darsaut TE, O’Kelly CJ, Chow MMC, Findlay JM, Rempel JL, Fahed R, Lesiuk H, Drake B, Santos MD, Gentric JC, Nonent M, Ognard J, El-Aouni MC, Magro E, Seizeur R, Timsit S, Pradier O, Desal H, Boursier R, Thillays F, Roualdes V, Piotin M, Blanc R, Aldea S, Cognard C, Januel AC, Sabatier JF, Calviere L, Gauvrit JY, Raoult H, Eugene F, Bras AL, Ferre JC, Paya C, Morandi X, Lecouillard I, Nouhaud E, Ronziere T, Trystram D, Naggara O, Rodriguez-Regent C, Kerleroux B, Barbier C, Gaberel T, Emery E, Touze E, Papagiannaki C, Derrey S, Eker OF, Riva R, Pellisou-Guyotat I, Guyotat J, Berhouma M, Dumot C, Biondi A, Thines L, Bougaci N, Charbonnier G, Bracard S, Anxionnat R, Gory B, Civit T, Bernier-Chastagner V, Barreau X, Marnat G, Jecko V, Penchet G, Gimbert E, Huchet A, Herbreteau D, Boulouis G, Bibi R, Ifergan H, Janot K, Velut S, Brunel H, Roche PH, Graillon T, Peyriere H, Kaya JM, Touta A, Troude L, Boissonneau S, Clarençon F, Shotar E, Sourour N, Lenck S, Premat K, Boch AL, Cornu P, Nouet A, Costalat V, Bonafe A, Dargazanli C, Gascou G, Lefevre PH, Riquelme C, Corre ML, Beaujeux R, Pop R, Proust F, Cebula H, Ollivier I, Spatola G, Spell L, Chalumeau V, Gallas S, Ikka L, Mihalea C, Ozanne A, Caroff J, Chabert E, Mounayer C, Rouchaud A, Caire F, Ricolfi F, Thouant P, Cao C, Mourier KL, Farah W, Nguyen TN, Abdalkader M, Huynh T, Tawk RG, Carlson AP, Silva LAO, Froio NDL, Silva GS, Mont’Alverne FJA, Martins JL, Mendes GN, Miranda RR. Endovascular treatment of brain arteriovenous malformations: clinical outcomes of patients included in the registry of a pragmatic randomized trial. J Neurosurg 2022; 138:1393-1402. [PMID: 37132535 DOI: 10.3171/2022.9.jns22987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
The role of endovascular treatment in the management of patients with brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) remains uncertain. AVM embolization can be offered as stand-alone curative therapy or prior to surgery or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) (pre-embolization). The Treatment of Brain AVMs Study (TOBAS) is an all-inclusive pragmatic study that comprises two randomized trials and multiple registries.
METHODS
Results from the TOBAS curative and pre-embolization registries are reported. The primary outcome for this report is death or dependency (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score > 2) at last follow-up. Secondary outcomes include angiographic results, perioperative serious adverse events (SAEs), and permanent treatment-related complications leading to an mRS score > 2.
RESULTS
From June 2014 to May 2021, 1010 patients were recruited in TOBAS. Embolization was chosen as the primary curative treatment for 116 patients and pre-embolization prior to surgery or SRS for 92 patients. Clinical and angiographic outcomes were available in 106 (91%) of 116 and 77 (84%) of 92 patients, respectively. In the curative embolization registry, 70% of AVMs were ruptured, and 62% were low-grade AVMs (Spetzler-Martin grade I or II), while the pre-embolization registry had 70% ruptured AVMs and 58% low-grade AVMs. The primary outcome of death or disability (mRS score > 2) occurred in 15 (14%, 95% CI 8%–22%) of the 106 patients in the curative embolization registry (4 [12%, 95% CI 5%–28%] of 32 unruptured AVMs and 11 [15%, 95% CI 8%–25%] of 74 ruptured AVMs) and 9 (12%, 95% CI 6%–21%) of the 77 patients in the pre-embolization registry (4 [17%, 95% CI 7%–37%] of 23 unruptured AVMs and 5 [9%, 95% CI 4%–20%] of 54 ruptured AVMs) at 2 years. Embolization alone was confirmed to occlude the AVM in 32 (30%, 95% CI 21%–40%) of the 106 curative attempts and in 9 (12%, 95% CI 6%–21%) of 77 patients in the pre-embolization registry. SAEs occurred in 28 of the 106 attempted curative patients (26%, 95% CI 18%–35%, including 21 new symptomatic hemorrhages [20%, 95% CI 13%–29%]). Five of the new hemorrhages were in previously unruptured AVMs (n = 32; 16%, 95% CI 5%–33%). Of the 77 pre-embolization patients, 18 had SAEs (23%, 95% CI 15%–34%), including 12 new symptomatic hemorrhages [16%, 95% CI 9%–26%]). Three of the hemorrhages were in previously unruptured AVMs (3/23; 13%, 95% CI 3%–34%).
CONCLUSIONS
Embolization as a curative treatment for brain AVMs was often incomplete. Hemorrhagic complications were frequent, even when the specified intent was pre-embolization before surgery or SRS. Because the role of endovascular treatment remains uncertain, it should preferably, when possible, be offered in the context of a randomized trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), and CHUM Research Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Elsa Magro
- Department of Neurosurgery, CHU Cavale Blanche, INSERM UMR 1101 LaTIM, Brest, France
| | - Lorena Nico
- Department of Radiology, CHU Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Emma Bacchus
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ruby Klink
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), and CHUM Research Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | | | - Jean-François Sabatier
- Neurosurgery, Pierre-Paul Riquet Hospital, Toulouse University Hospital, Toulouse, France
| | - Daniela Iancu
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), and CHUM Research Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Alain Weill
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), and CHUM Research Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Daniel Roy
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), and CHUM Research Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Michel W. Bojanowski
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Chiraz Chaalala
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Xavier Barreau
- Neuroradiology Department, Pellegrin Hospital Group, CHU Bordeaux, France
| | - Vincent Jecko
- Neurosurgery Department A, Pellegrin Hospital Group, CHU Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Stéphane Derrey
- Neurosurgery, Charles Nicolle Hospital, Rouen Normandy University Hospital, Rouen, France
| | | | - Philippe Cornu
- Neurosurgery, Mercy Salpetriere Hospital AP-HP, Paris, France
| | | | | | | | - Sorin Aldea
- Neurosurgery, Adolphe de Rothschild Foundation Hospital, Paris, France
| | | | - François Proust
- Neurosurgery, Strasbourg University Hospitals, Strasbourg, France
| | - René Anxionnat
- Interventional Neuroradiology Department, University of Lorraine, Laboratory IADI INSERM U1254, CHRU Nancy, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Hervé Brunel
- Departments of Interventional Neuroradiology and
| | | | | | - Emmanuel Chabert
- Interventional Neuroradiology Department, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Denis Herbreteau
- Interventional Neuroradiology Department, Bretonneau Hospital, Tours, France
| | - Hubert Desal
- Interventional Neuroradiology Department, CHU de Nantes, France
| | - Denis Trystram
- Interventional Neuroradiology Department, University of Paris, INSERM U1266, IPNP, GHU Paris, France
- Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Thanh N. Nguyen
- Departments of Radiology,
- Neurology, and
- Neurosurgery, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts; and
| | | | - Guylaine Gevry
- Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), and CHUM Research Centre, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Tim E. Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Boisseau W, Darsaut TE, Fahed R, Findlay JM, Bourcier R, Charbonnier G, Smajda S, Ognard J, Roy D, Gariel F, Carlson AP, Shotar E, Ciccio G, Marnat G, Sporns PB, Gaberel T, Jecko V, Weill A, Biondi A, Boulouis G, Bras AL, Aldea S, Passeri T, Boissonneau S, Bougaci N, Gentric JC, Diestro JDB, Omar AT, Al-Jehani HM, Hage GE, Volders D, Kaderali Z, Tsogkas I, Magro E, Holay Q, Zehr J, Iancu D, Raymond J. Surgical or Endovascular Treatment of MCA Aneurysms: An Agreement Study. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2022; 43:1437-1444. [PMID: 36137654 PMCID: PMC9575541 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a7648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE MCA aneurysms are still commonly clipped surgically despite the recent development of a number of endovascular tools and techniques. We measured clinical uncertainty by studying the reliability of decisions made for patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS A portfolio of 60 MCA aneurysms was presented to surgical and endovascular specialists who were asked whether they considered surgery or endovascular treatment to be an option, whether they would consider recruitment of the patient in a randomized trial, and whether they would provide their final management recommendation. Agreement was studied using κ statistics. Intrarater reliability was assessed with the same, permuted portfolio of cases of MCA aneurysm sent to the same specialists 1 month later. RESULTS Surgical management was the preferred option for neurosurgeons (n = 844/1320; [64%] responses/22 raters), while endovascular treatment was more commonly chosen by interventional neuroradiologists (1149/1500 [76.6%] responses/25 raters). Interrater agreement was only "slight" for all cases and all judges (κ = 0.094; 95% CI, 0.068-0.130). Agreement was no better within specialties or with more experience. On delayed requestioning, 11 of 35 raters (31%) disagreed with themselves on at least 20% of cases. Surgical management and endovascular treatment were always judged to be a treatment option, for all patients. Trial participation was offered to patients 65% of the time. CONCLUSIONS Individual clinicians did not agree regarding the best management of patients with MCA aneurysms. A randomized trial comparing endovascular with surgical management of patients with MCA aneurysms is in order.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Boisseau
- From the Department of Radiology (W.B., D.R., A.W., D.I., J.R.), Division of Neuroradiology
| | - T E Darsaut
- Department of Surgery (T.E.D., J.M.F.), Division of Neurosurgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - R Fahed
- Department of Medicine (R.F.), Division of Neurology, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - J M Findlay
- Department of Surgery (T.E.D., J.M.F.), Division of Neurosurgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - R Bourcier
- Department of Neuroradiology (R.B.), University Hospital of Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - G Charbonnier
- Departments of Interventional Neuroradiology (G. Charbonnier, A.B.)
| | - S Smajda
- Departments of Interventional Neuroradiology (S.S.)
| | - J Ognard
- Department of Interventional Neuroradiology (J.O., J.C.G.), Hôpital de la Cavale Blanche, Brest, Bretagne, France
| | - D Roy
- From the Department of Radiology (W.B., D.R., A.W., D.I., J.R.), Division of Neuroradiology
| | - F Gariel
- Departments of Neuroradiology (F.G., G.M.)
| | - A P Carlson
- Department of Neurosurgery (A.P.C.), University of New Mexico Hospital, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - E Shotar
- Department of Neuroradiology (E.S.), Groupe Hospitalier de Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - G Ciccio
- Department of Interventional Neuroradiology (G. Ciccio), Centre Hospitalier de Bastia, Bastia, Corse, France
| | - G Marnat
- Departments of Neuroradiology (F.G., G.M.)
| | - P B Sporns
- Department of Neuroradiology (P.B.S., I.T.), Clinic of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology (P.B.S.), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - T Gaberel
- Department of Neurosurgery (T.G.), University Hospital of Caen, Caen, France
| | - V Jecko
- Neurosurgery (V.J.), University Hospital of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - A Weill
- From the Department of Radiology (W.B., D.R., A.W., D.I., J.R.), Division of Neuroradiology
| | - A Biondi
- Departments of Interventional Neuroradiology (G. Charbonnier, A.B.)
| | - G Boulouis
- Department of Neuroradiology (G.B.), University Hospital of Tours, Tours, Indre et Loire, France
| | - A L Bras
- Department of Radiology (A.L.B.), Groupement Hospitaliser Bretagne Atlantique-Hôpital Chubert, Vannes, Bretagne, France
| | - S Aldea
- Neurosurgery (S.A.), Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild, Paris, France
| | - T Passeri
- Department of Neurosurgery (T.P.), Lariboisière Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, University of Paris, Paris, France
| | - S Boissonneau
- Department of Neurosurgery (S.B.), La Timone Hospital
- L'Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (S.B.), Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Aix Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - N Bougaci
- Neurosurgery (N.B.), Besançon University Hospital, Besançon, France
| | - J C Gentric
- Department of Interventional Neuroradiology (J.O., J.C.G.), Hôpital de la Cavale Blanche, Brest, Bretagne, France
| | - J D B Diestro
- Division of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Neuroradiology (J.D.B.D.), Department of Medical Imaging, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - A T Omar
- Division of Neurosurgery (A.T.O.), Department of Surgery, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - H M Al-Jehani
- Department of Neurosurgery, Radiology and Critical Care Medicine (H.M.A.-J.), King Fahad Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Alkhobar, Saudi Arabia
| | - G El Hage
- Department of Neurosurgery (G.E.H.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal,Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - D Volders
- Department of Radiology (D.V.), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Z Kaderali
- Division of Neurosurgery (Z.K.), GB1-Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - I Tsogkas
- Department of Neuroradiology (P.B.S., I.T.), Clinic of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - E Magro
- Department of Neurosurgery (E.M.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Cavale Blanche, UBO L'Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, LaTIM UMR 1101, Brest, France
| | - Q Holay
- Department of Radiology (Q.H.), Hôpital d'Instruction des Armées Saint-Anne, Toulon, France
| | - J Zehr
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics (J.Z.), Pavillon André-Aisenstadt,Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - D Iancu
- From the Department of Radiology (W.B., D.R., A.W., D.I., J.R.), Division of Neuroradiology
| | - J Raymond
- From the Department of Radiology (W.B., D.R., A.W., D.I., J.R.), Division of Neuroradiology
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Darsaut TE, Magro E, Bojanowski MW, Chaalala C, Nico L, Bacchus E, Klink R, Iancu D, Weill A, Roy D, Sabatier JF, Cognard C, Januel AC, Pelissou-Guyotat I, Eker O, Roche PH, Graillon T, Brunel H, Proust F, Beaujeux R, Aldea S, Piotin M, Cornu P, Shotar E, Gaberel T, Barbier C, Corre ML, Costalat V, Jecko V, Barreau X, Morandi X, Gauvrit JY, Derrey S, Papagiannaki C, Nguyen TN, Abdalkader M, Tawk RG, Huynh T, Viard G, Gevry G, Gentric JC, Raymond J. Surgical treatment of brain arteriovenous malformations: clinical outcomes of patients included in the registry of a pragmatic randomized trial. J Neurosurg 2022; 138:891-899. [PMID: 36087316 DOI: 10.3171/2022.7.jns22813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Treatment of Brain Arteriovenous Malformations Study (TOBAS) is a pragmatic study that includes 2 randomized trials and registries of treated or conservatively managed patients. The authors report the results of the surgical registry. METHODS TOBAS patients are managed according to an algorithm that combines clinical judgment and randomized allocation. For patients considered for curative treatment, clinicians selected from surgery, endovascular therapy, or radiation therapy as the primary curative method, and whether observation was a reasonable alternative. When surgery was selected and observation was deemed unreasonable, the patient was not included in the randomized controlled trial but placed in the surgical registry. The primary outcome of the trial was mRS score > 2 at 10 years (at last follow-up for the current report). Secondary outcomes include angiographic results, perioperative serious adverse events, and permanent treatment-related complications leading to mRS score > 2. RESULTS From June 2014 to May 2021, 1010 patients were recruited at 30 TOBAS centers. Surgery was selected for 229/512 patients (44%) considered for curative treatment; 77 (34%) were included in the surgery versus observation randomized trial and 152 (66%) were placed in the surgical registry. Surgical registry patients had 124/152 (82%) ruptured and 28/152 (18%) unruptured arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), with the majority categorized as low-grade Spetzler-Martin grade I-II AVM (118/152 [78%]). Thirteen patients were excluded, leaving 139 patients for analysis. Embolization was performed prior to surgery in 78/139 (56%) patients. Surgical angiographic cure was obtained in 123/139 all-grade (89%, 95% CI 82%-93%) and 105/110 low-grade (95%, 95% CI 90%-98%) AVM patients. At the mean follow-up of 18.1 months, 16 patients (12%, 95% CI 7%-18%) had reached the primary safety outcome of mRS score > 2, including 11/16 who had a baseline mRS score ≥ 3 due to previous AVM rupture. Serious adverse events occurred in 29 patients (21%, 95% CI 15%-28%). Permanent treatment-related complications leading to mRS score > 2 occurred in 6/139 patients (4%, 95% CI 2%-9%), 5 (83%) of whom had complications due to preoperative embolization. CONCLUSIONS The surgical treatment of brain AVMs in the TOBAS registry was curative in 88% of patients. The participation of more patients, surgeons, and centers in randomized trials is needed to definitively establish the role of surgery in the treatment of unruptured brain AVMs. Clinical trial registration no.: NCT02098252 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim E Darsaut
- 1Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Elsa Magro
- 2Department of Neurosurgery, CHU Cavale Blanche, INSERM UMR 1101 LaTIM, Brest, France
| | - Michel W Bojanowski
- 3Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Montreal Health Centre (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Chiraz Chaalala
- 3Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Montreal Health Centre (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lorena Nico
- 4Division of Interventional Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, CHU Saint-Etienne, North Hospital, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Emma Bacchus
- 1Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ruby Klink
- 5Research Centre of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre, Interventional Neuroradiology Research Laboratory (NRI), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Daniela Iancu
- 6Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Hospital Centre of the University of Montreal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alain Weill
- 6Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Hospital Centre of the University of Montreal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Daniel Roy
- 6Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Hospital Centre of the University of Montreal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean-Francois Sabatier
- 7Department of Neurosurgery, Pierre-Paul Riquet Hospital, Toulouse University Hospital, Toulouse, France
| | - Christophe Cognard
- 8Diagnostic and Therapeutic Neuroradiology Department, Pierre-Paul Riquet Hospital, Toulouse University Hospital, Toulouse, France
| | - Anne-Christine Januel
- 8Diagnostic and Therapeutic Neuroradiology Department, Pierre-Paul Riquet Hospital, Toulouse University Hospital, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Omer Eker
- 10Diagnostic and Interventional Neurological Imaging, Pierre Wertheimer Neurological Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | | | - Thomas Graillon
- 12Department of Neurosurgery, Aix Marseille University, INSERM, AP-HM, MMG, UMR1251, Marmara Institute, La Timone Hospital, Marseille, France
| | - Hervé Brunel
- 13Department of Neuroradiology, La Timone Hospital, AP-HM, Marseille, France
| | - Francois Proust
- 14Department of Neurosurgery, Strasbourg University Hospitals, Strasbourg, France
| | - Rémy Beaujeux
- 15Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Michel Piotin
- 17Interventional Radiology, Adolphe de Rothschild Foundation Hospital, Paris, France
| | | | - Eimad Shotar
- 19Neuroradiology, Mercy Salpetriere Hospital AP-HP, Paris, France
| | | | - Charlotte Barbier
- 21Vascular and Interventional Imaging, CHU Caen Normandie, Caen, France
| | | | | | - Vincent Jecko
- 24Neurosurgery Department A, Pellegrin Hospital Group, CHU Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Xavier Barreau
- 25Diagnostic and Therapeutic Neuroradiology Department, Pellegrin Hospital Group, CHU Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Jean-Yves Gauvrit
- 27Neuroradiology, Pontchaillou Hospital, Rennes University Hospital, Rennes, France
| | | | | | - Thanh N Nguyen
- Departments of30Radiology.,31Neurology, and.,32Neurosurgery, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Thien Huynh
- 34Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida
| | - Geraldine Viard
- 35Clinical Investigation Center, CHU Brest, Brest, France; and
| | - Guylaine Gevry
- 5Research Centre of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre, Interventional Neuroradiology Research Laboratory (NRI), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean-Christophe Gentric
- 36Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Cavale Blanche Hospital, Brest University Hospital, Brest, France
| | - Jean Raymond
- 5Research Centre of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre, Interventional Neuroradiology Research Laboratory (NRI), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,6Department of Radiology, Service of Neuroradiology, Hospital Centre of the University of Montreal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Raymond J, Iancu D, Boisseau W, Diestro JDB, Klink R, Chagnon M, Zehr J, Drake B, Lesiuk H, Weill A, Roy D, Bojanowski MW, Chaalala C, Rempel JL, O'Kelly C, Chow MM, Bracard S, Darsaut TE. Flow Diversion in the Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms: A Pragmatic Randomized Care Trial. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2022; 43:1244-1251. [PMID: 35926886 PMCID: PMC9451626 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a7597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Flow diversion is a recent endovascular treatment for intracranial aneurysms. We compared the safety and efficacy of flow diversion with the alternative standard management options. MATERIALS AND METHODS A parallel group, prerandomized, controlled, open-label pragmatic trial was conducted in 3 Canadian centers. The trial included all patients considered for flow diversion. A Web-based platform 1:1 randomly allocated patients to flow diversion or 1 of 4 alternative standard management options (coiling with/without stent placement, parent vessel occlusion, surgical clipping, or observation) as prespecified by clinical judgment. Patients ineligible for alternative standard management options were treated with flow diversion in a registry. The primary safety outcome was death or dependency (mRS > 2) at 3 months. The composite primary efficacy outcome included the core lab-determined angiographic presence of a residual aneurysm, aneurysm rupture, progressive mass effect during follow-up, or death or dependency (mRS > 2) at 3-12 months. RESULTS Between May 2011 and November 2020, three hundred twenty-three patients were recruited: Two hundred seventy-eight patients (86%) had treatment randomly allocated (139 to flow diversion and 139 to alternative standard management options), and 45 (14%) received flow diversion in the registry. Patients in the randomized trial frequently had unruptured (83%), large (52% ≥10 mm) carotid (64%) aneurysms. Death or dependency at 3 months occurred in 16/138 patients who underwent flow diversion and 12/137 patients receiving alternative standard management options (relative risk, 1.33; 95% CI, 0.65-2.69; P = .439). A poor primary efficacy outcome was found in 30.9% (43/139) with flow diversion and 45.6% (62/136) of patients receiving alternative standard management options, with an absolute risk difference of 14.7% (95% CI, 3.3%-26.0%; relative risk, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.50-0.92; P = .014). CONCLUSIONS For patients with mostly unruptured, large, anterior circulation (carotid) aneurysms, flow diversion was more effective than the alternative standard management option in terms of angiographic outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Raymond
- From the Department of Radiology (J.R., D.I., W.B., J.D.B.D., R.K., A.W., D.R.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - D Iancu
- From the Department of Radiology (J.R., D.I., W.B., J.D.B.D., R.K., A.W., D.R.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Departments of Radiology (D.I.)
| | - W Boisseau
- From the Department of Radiology (J.R., D.I., W.B., J.D.B.D., R.K., A.W., D.R.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - J D B Diestro
- From the Department of Radiology (J.R., D.I., W.B., J.D.B.D., R.K., A.W., D.R.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - R Klink
- From the Department of Radiology (J.R., D.I., W.B., J.D.B.D., R.K., A.W., D.R.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - M Chagnon
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics (M.C., J.Z.), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - J Zehr
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics (M.C., J.Z.), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - B Drake
- Surgery (B.D., H.L.), Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - H Lesiuk
- Surgery (B.D., H.L.), Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - A Weill
- From the Department of Radiology (J.R., D.I., W.B., J.D.B.D., R.K., A.W., D.R.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - D Roy
- From the Department of Radiology (J.R., D.I., W.B., J.D.B.D., R.K., A.W., D.R.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - M W Bojanowski
- Department of Neurosurgery (M.W.B., C.C.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Notre-Dame Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - C Chaalala
- Department of Neurosurgery (M.W.B., C.C.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Notre-Dame Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - C O'Kelly
- Surgery (C.O., M.M.C., T.E.D.), Division of Neurosurgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - M M Chow
- Surgery (C.O., M.M.C., T.E.D.), Division of Neurosurgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - S Bracard
- Neuroradiology (S.B.), CHRU de Nancy, Nancy, Lorraine, France
| | - T E Darsaut
- Surgery (C.O., M.M.C., T.E.D.), Division of Neurosurgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Obaid S, Darsaut TE, Raymond J. Understanding the problems with recruitment in surgical randomized trials: A lesson from landmark trials on temporal lobe epilepsy. Neurochirurgie 2022; 68:612-617. [PMID: 35787925 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Surgical randomized trials are difficult to accomplish. One major problem is recruitment of a sufficient number of patients to address the clinical problem. METHODS We review the various ways patient recruitment in surgical RCTs can be promoted. We examine two landmark trials on the surgical treatment of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), one that was successful, and one which did not attain the target number of participants. DISCUSSION Both designs of the Canadian and American trials of surgery for TLE included a benefit to participants: the Canadian trial gave a chance to have immediate access to investigation and treatment, as compared to a 1 year delay (considered 'standard care' in that center), while the American trial offered free surgical management to both arms. Patients were recruited and treatments randomly allocated prior to knowing for certain whether they were surgical candidates or not. This design choice may have helped circumvent the 'equipoise problem'. The Canadian trial offered participation to drug-resistant patients that were already routinely referred to surgical centers, while the success of the American trial which limited recruitment to the early period of drug resistance was dependent on a change of practice of referring clinicians which did not materialize. CONCLUSION The surgical treatment of drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy has been validated using RCT methods. Ways to promote participation in surgical trials should be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Obaid
- Department of Neurosurgery, Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - T E Darsaut
- University of Alberta Hospital, Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Raymond J, Magro E, Darsaut TE. Understanding burden of proof and equipoise in the design of pragmatic clinical trials: An example from a trial on brain arteriovenous malformations. Neurochirurgie 2022; 68:608-611. [PMID: 35787924 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The burden of proof principle is rarely discussed and poorly understood, but central to the proper design of pragmatic clinical trials. A better understanding of the principle could play an important role in the re-introduction of scientific methods within practice and in revising fundamental problems with the current research-care separation. METHODS We analyze the design of the ARUBA trial on the management of unruptured brain arteriovenous malformations. We also review how the concept of clinical equipoise was introduced to address a misconceived problem of research ethics. RESULTS The ARUBA trial hypothesis in favour of conservative management of brain arteriovenous malformations failed to take into account the fact that the burden of proof was on surgery, endovascular treatment or radiation therapy. Thus, results remained inconclusive and other trials are needed. The equipoise notion fails to take into account that the burden of proof is on unvalidated medical or surgical interventions, if we want to provide outcome-based medical care that patients can trust. CONCLUSION The burden of proof principle is essential to properly design pragmatic trials. This principle also explains why in certain circumstances optimal care is a randomized care trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Raymond
- Department of radiology, service of neuroradiology, centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - E Magro
- Service de neurochirurgie, CHU Cavale-Blanche, Inserm UMR 1101 LaTIM, Brest, France
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of neurosurgery, department of surgery, university of Alberta hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, 8440 112St NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Raymond J, Benomar A, Darsaut TE. Understanding the reliability of trial outcome measures: The example of angiographic results of surgical or endovascular treatments of aneurysms. Neurochirurgie 2022; 68:485-487. [PMID: 35654613 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The reliability of outcome measures is of central importance in clinical research. Studies of reliability remain rare in the neurovascular field. METHODS A narrative review of the history (1997-2021) of reporting angiographic results of the surgical or endovascular treatments of aneurysms serves to illustrate the importance of precisely defining outcome measures. We also review how the reliability of an angiographic classification system was studied. DISCUSSION Outcome measures are commonly used without precise definitions. When definitions or classification systems exist, they are rarely verified for their reliability. Twenty-five years following its introduction, a classification of angiographic results of aneurysm treatments is still being studied and modified. CONCLUSION The reliability of outcome measures should be made a research priority if we are to practice outcome-based medical or surgical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Raymond
- Department of Radiology, service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - A Benomar
- Department of Radiology, service of Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- Department of Surgery, division of Neurosurgery, University of Alberta hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Iancu D, Collins J, Farzin B, Darsaut TE, Eneling J, Boisseau W, Olijnyk L, Boulouis G, Chaalala C, Bojanowski MW, Weill A, Roy D, Raymond J. Recruitment in a pragmatic randomized trial on the management of unruptured intracranial aneurysms. World Neurosurg 2022; 163:e413-e419. [PMID: 35395427 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.03.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Comprehensive Aneurysm Management (CAM) study is a pragmatic trial designed to manage UIA patients within a care research framework. METHOD CAM is an all-inclusive study. Management options are allocated according to an algorithm combining pre-randomization and clinical judgment. Eligible patients are offered 1:1 randomized allocation of intervention versus conservative management and 1:1 randomization allocation of surgical versus endovascular treatment. Ineligible patients are registered. The primary outcome is survival without dependency (mRS<3) at 10 years. All UIA patients at one center are reported. RESULTS Between February 2020 and July 2021, 403 UIA patients were recruited: 179 (44%) in one of the RCTs and 224 (56%) in one of the registries. Conservative management was recommended for 205/403 patients (51%); of 198 (49%) patients considered for curative treatment, 159 (80%) were randomly allocated conservative (n=81) or curative treatment (n=78). These patients were younger and had larger aneurysms than those in the observation registry (P = .004). In 39/198 patients (20%), conservative management was not considered reasonable (17 patients were recommended endovascular, 2 surgery, and 20 the RCT comparing endovascular with surgical treatment). In total, 70 patients were recruited in the RCT comparing surgery and endovascular treatment. After informed discussion at time of consent, 141/159 patients (89%) agreed with the randomly allocated management plan, while 11% crossed-over to the alternative management option. CONCLUSION CAM was successfully integrated into routine practice. Meaningful conclusions can be obtained if multiple centers actively participate in the trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Iancu
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada and CHUM Research Center (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jennifer Collins
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada and CHUM Research Center (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Behzad Farzin
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada and CHUM Research Center (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Tim E Darsaut
- University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Johanna Eneling
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada and CHUM Research Center (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - William Boisseau
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada and CHUM Research Center (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Leonardo Olijnyk
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada and CHUM Research Center (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Grégoire Boulouis
- Neuroradiology Department, Université Paris Descartes, INSERM S894, Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne, France
| | - Chiraz Chaalala
- Department of Surgery, Service of Neurosurgery, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michel W Bojanowski
- Department of Surgery, Service of Neurosurgery, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alain Weill
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada and CHUM Research Center (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Daniel Roy
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada and CHUM Research Center (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada and CHUM Research Center (CRCHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Raymond J, Létourneau-Guillon L, Darsaut TE, Findlay JM, Chow MM, Keough MB, Chan AM, Farzin B, Gevry G, Chagnon M, Zehr J. Reply. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2022; 43:E4. [PMID: 35241423 PMCID: PMC8910809 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a7454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology Service Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal Quebec, CanadaCHUM Research Centre, MontrealQuebec, Canada
| | - L. Létourneau-Guillon
- Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology Service Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal Quebec, CanadaCHUM Research Centre, MontrealQuebec, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery University of Alberta hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Center, EdmontonAlberta, Canada
| | - J M Findlay
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery University of Alberta hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Center, EdmontonAlberta, Canada
| | - M M Chow
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery University of Alberta hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Center, EdmontonAlberta, Canada
| | - M B Keough
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery University of Alberta hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Center, EdmontonAlberta, Canada
| | - A M Chan
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery University of Alberta hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Center, EdmontonAlberta, Canada
| | | | - G Gevry
- CHUM Research Centre, MontrealQuebec, Canada
| | - M Chagnon
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics Université de Montréal, Montreal Quebec, Canada
| | - J Zehr
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics Université de Montréal, Montreal Quebec, Canada
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Raymond J, Darsaut TE. Understanding how to move from dogmatic to outcome-based neurosurgical care: Lessons from past surgical studies on ruptured aneurysm patients. Neurochirurgie 2022; 68:478-482. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Olijnyk L, Darsaut TE, Öhman J, Raymond J. Understanding Intent to treat analyses: An important Lesson from the International Cooperative Study on the Timing of Aneurysm Surgery. Neurochirurgie 2022; 68:471-473. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Olijnyk L, Darsaut TE, Öhman J, Raymond J. Understanding the importance of the primary trial hypothesis: The randomized trial on the timing of ruptured aneurysm surgery. Neurochirurgie 2022; 68:474-477. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2022.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Raymond J, Darsaut TE. Reprint of: We need less research, better research, and research done for the right reasons. Neurochirurgie 2022; 68:147. [PMID: 35074167 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2021.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J Raymond
- Department of radiology, service of neuroradiology, centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of neurosurgery, department of surgery, Mackenzie health sciences centre, university of Alberta hospital, 8440 112St NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Darsaut TE, Keough MB, Boisseau W, Findlay JM, Bojanowski MW, Chaalala C, Iancu D, Weill A, Roy D, Estrade L, Lejeune JP, Januel AC, Carlson AP, Sauvageau E, Al-Jehani H, Orlov K, Aldea S, Piotin M, Gaberel T, Gevry G, Raymond J. Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysm Trial (MCAAT): A randomized care trial comparing surgical and endovascular management of MCA aneurysm patients. World Neurosurg 2021; 160:e49-e54. [PMID: 34971833 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2021.12.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whether the best management of middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm patients is surgical or endovascular remains uncertain, with little evidence to guide decision-making. A randomized care trial offering MCA aneurysm patients a 50% chance of surgical and a 50% chance of endovascular management may optimize outcomes in the presence of uncertainty. METHODS The Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysm Trial (MCAAT) is an investigator-initiated, multi-center, parallel group, prospective, 1:1 randomized controlled clinical trial. All adult patients with MCA aneurysms, ruptured or unruptured, amenable to surgical and endovascular treatment can be included. The composite primary outcome is 'Treatment Success': i) occlusion or exclusion of the aneurysm using the allocated treatment modality; ii) no intracranial hemorrhage during follow-up; iii) no retreatment of the target aneurysm during follow-up, iv) no residual aneurysm on angiographic follow-up and v) independence (mRS <3) at 1 year. The trial tests two versions of the same hypothesis (one for ruptured and one for unruptured MCA aneurysm patients): Surgical management will lead to a 15% absolute increase in the proportion of patients reaching Treatment Success from 55% to 70% (ruptured) or from 75% to 90% (unruptured aneurysm patients) compared to endovascular treatment (any method). In this pragmatic trial, outcome evaluations are by treating physicians, except for 1 year angiographic results which will be core lab assessed. The trial will be monitored by an independent data safety monitoring committee to assure safety of participants. MCAAT is registered at clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05161377. CONCLUSION Patients with MCA aneurysms can be optimally managed within a care trial protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Michael B Keough
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Canada
| | - William Boisseau
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Canada
| | - J Max Findlay
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Michel W Bojanowski
- Department of Surgery, Service of Neurosurgery, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Canada
| | - Chiraz Chaalala
- Department of Surgery, Service of Neurosurgery, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Canada
| | - Daniela Iancu
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Canada
| | - Alain Weill
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Canada
| | - Daniel Roy
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Canada
| | - Laurent Estrade
- Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, CHU de Lille, Hôpital Salengro, Lille, France
| | - Jean-Paul Lejeune
- Department of Neurosurgery, CHU de Lille, Hôpital Salengro, Lille, France
| | - Anne-Christine Januel
- Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, CHU de Toulouse, Hôpital Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Andrew P Carlson
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of New Mexico Hospital, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Eric Sauvageau
- Lyerly Neurosurgery, Baptist Health, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Hosam Al-Jehani
- Department of Neurosurgery and Radiology, King Fahad University Hospital, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kirill Orlov
- Endovascular Neurosurgery Research Center, Federal Center of Brain Research and Neurotechnologies of the Federal Medical Biological Agency of Russia, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sorin Aldea
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rothschild Foundation Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Michel Piotin
- Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Rothschild Foundation Hospital, Paris, France
| | | | - Guylaine Gevry
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Canada
| | - Jean Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Service of Interventional Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Canada
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Patel M, Au K, Easaw JC, Davis FG, Young K, Mehta V, Bowden GN, Keough MB, Sankar T, Scholtes F, Chagnon M, L'Espérance G, Yuan Y, Gevry G, Raymond J, Darsaut TE. Repeat Resection in Recurrent Glioblastoma (3rGBM) Trial: a randomized care trial. Neurochirurgie 2021; 68:262-266. [PMID: 34534565 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prognosis for patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) is dismal, and the question of repeat surgery at time of recurrence is common. Re-operation in the management of these patients remains controversial, as there is no randomized evidence of benefit. An all-inclusive pragmatic care trial is needed to evaluate the role of repeat resection. METHODS 3rGBM is a multicenter, pragmatic, prospective, parallel-group randomized care trial, with 1:1 allocation to repeat resection or standard care with no repeat resection. To test the hypothesis that repeat resection can improve overall survival by at least 3 months (from 6 to 9 months), 250 adult patients with prior resection of pathology-proven glioblastoma for whom the attending surgeon believes repeat resection may improve quality survival will be enrolled. A surrogate measure of quality of life, the number of days outside of hospital/nursing/palliative care facility, will also be compared. Centers are invited to participate without financial compensation and without contracts. Clinicians may apply to local authorities to approve an investigator-led in-house trial, using a common protocol, web-based randomization platform, and simple standardized case report forms. DISCUSSION The 3rGBM trial is a modern transparent care research framework with no additional risks, tests, or visits other than what patients would encounter in normal care. The burden of proof remains on repeat surgical management of recurrent GBM, because this management has yet to be shown beneficial. The trial is designed to help patients and surgeons manage the uncertainty regarding optimal care. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT04838782.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukt Patel
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, 8440 112 St NW, T6G 2B7 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Karolyn Au
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, 8440 112 St NW, T6G 2B7 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jacob C Easaw
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Cross Cancer Institute, 11560 University Ave, University of Alberta, T6G 1Z2 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Faith G Davis
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, T6G 2R3 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kelvin Young
- Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Cross Cancer Institute, 11560 University Ave, University of Alberta, T6G 1Z2 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Vivek Mehta
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, 8440 112 St NW, T6G 2B7 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Greg N Bowden
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, 8440 112 St NW, T6G 2B7 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michael B Keough
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, 8440 112 St NW, T6G 2B7 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Tejas Sankar
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, 8440 112 St NW, T6G 2B7 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Felix Scholtes
- Departments of Neuroanatomy and Neurosurgery, University of Liège and CHU Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Miguel Chagnon
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Pavillon André-Aisenstadt (AA-5190),2920 chemin de la Tour, H3T 1J4 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Georges L'Espérance
- Dying with Dignity Canada, and Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Université de Montréal, Canada
| | - Yan Yuan
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, T6G 2R3 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Guylaine Gevry
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), 1000 St-Denis street, room D03.5462B, H2X 0C1 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), 1000 St-Denis street, room D03.5462B, H2X 0C1 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Tim E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, 8440 112 St NW, T6G 2B7 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Benomar A, Farzin B, Gevry G, Boisseau W, Roy D, Weill A, Iancu D, Guilbert F, Létourneau-Guillon L, Jacquin G, Chaalala C, Bojanowski MW, Labidi M, Fahed R, Volders D, Nguyen TN, Gentric JC, Magro E, Boulouis G, Forestier G, Hak JF, Ghostine JS, Kaderali Z, Shankar JJ, Kotowski M, Darsaut TE, Raymond J. Noninvasive Angiographic Results of Clipped or Coiled Intracranial Aneurysms: An Inter- and Intraobserver Reliability Study. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2021; 42:1615-1620. [PMID: 34326106 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a7236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Noninvasive angiography is commonly used to assess the outcome of surgical or endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms in clinical series or randomized trials. We sought to assess whether a standardized 3-grade classification system could be reliably used to compare the CTA and MRA results of both treatments. MATERIALS AND METHODS An electronic portfolio composed of CTAs of 30 clipped and MRAs of 30 coiled aneurysms was independently evaluated by 24 raters of diverse experience and training backgrounds. Twenty raters performed a second evaluation 1 month later. Raters were asked which angiographic grade and management decision (retreatment; close or long-term follow-up) would be most appropriate for each case. Agreement was analyzed using the Krippendorff α (αK) statistic, and the relationship between angiographic grade and clinical management choice, using the Fisher exact and Cramer V tests. RESULTS Interrater agreement was substantial (αK = 0.63; 95% CI, 0.55-0.70); results were slightly better for MRA results of coiling (αK = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.56-0.76) than for CTA results of clipping (αK = 0.58; 95% CI, 0.44-0.69). Intrarater agreement was substantial to almost perfect. Interrater agreement regarding clinical management was moderate for both clipped (αK = 0.49; 95% CI, 0.32-0.61) and coiled subgroups (αK = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.34-0.54). The choice of clinical management was strongly associated with the size of the residuum (mean Cramer V = 0.77 [SD, 0.14]), but complete occlusions (grade 1) were followed more closely after coiling than after clipping (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS A standardized 3-grade scale was found to be a reliable and clinically meaningful tool to compare the results of clipping and coiling of aneurysms using CTA or MRA.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Benomar
- From the Department of Radiology (A.B., B.F., G.G., W.B., D.R., A.W., D.I., F.G., L.L.-G., J.R.)
| | - B Farzin
- From the Department of Radiology (A.B., B.F., G.G., W.B., D.R., A.W., D.I., F.G., L.L.-G., J.R.)
| | - G Gevry
- From the Department of Radiology (A.B., B.F., G.G., W.B., D.R., A.W., D.I., F.G., L.L.-G., J.R.)
| | - W Boisseau
- From the Department of Radiology (A.B., B.F., G.G., W.B., D.R., A.W., D.I., F.G., L.L.-G., J.R.)
| | - D Roy
- From the Department of Radiology (A.B., B.F., G.G., W.B., D.R., A.W., D.I., F.G., L.L.-G., J.R.)
| | - A Weill
- From the Department of Radiology (A.B., B.F., G.G., W.B., D.R., A.W., D.I., F.G., L.L.-G., J.R.)
| | - D Iancu
- From the Department of Radiology (A.B., B.F., G.G., W.B., D.R., A.W., D.I., F.G., L.L.-G., J.R.)
| | - F Guilbert
- From the Department of Radiology (A.B., B.F., G.G., W.B., D.R., A.W., D.I., F.G., L.L.-G., J.R.)
| | - L Létourneau-Guillon
- From the Department of Radiology (A.B., B.F., G.G., W.B., D.R., A.W., D.I., F.G., L.L.-G., J.R.)
| | - G Jacquin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology (G.J.)
| | - C Chaalala
- Division of Neurosurgery (C.C., M.W.B., M.L.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - M W Bojanowski
- Division of Neurosurgery (C.C., M.W.B., M.L.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - M Labidi
- Division of Neurosurgery (C.C., M.W.B., M.L.), Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - R Fahed
- Division ofNeurology (R.F.), The Ottawa Hospital Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - D Volders
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology (D.V.), Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - T N Nguyen
- Departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Radiology (T.N.N.), Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - J-C Gentric
- Departments of Interventional Neuroradiology (J.-C.G.)
| | - E Magro
- Neurosurgery (E.M.), Hôpital de la Cavale Blanche, Centre Hospitalier Régional et Universitaire de Brest, Brest, France
| | - G Boulouis
- Department of Neuroradiology (G.B.), Centre Hospitalier Régional et Universitaire de Tours, Tours, France
| | - G Forestier
- Department of Neuroradiology (G.F.), University Hospital of Limoges, Limoges, France
| | - J-F Hak
- Department of Medical Imaging (J.-F.H.), University Hospital Timone Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - J S Ghostine
- Department of Radiology (J.S.G.), Jean-Talon Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - J J Shankar
- Department of Radiology (J.J.S.), Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - M Kotowski
- Department of Neurosurgery (M.K.), Hôpital de la Providence, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - T E Darsaut
- Department of Surgery (T.E.D.), Division of Neurosurgery,Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - J Raymond
- From the Department of Radiology (A.B., B.F., G.G., W.B., D.R., A.W., D.I., F.G., L.L.-G., J.R.)
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Raymond J, Naggara O, Guilbert F, Darsaut TE. Douglas Altman's 2009 Grand Lecture: Can we trust our literature? Neurochirurgie 2021; 68:202-205. [PMID: 34186030 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2021.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies of the medical literature have revealed numerous and serious problems. Errors in the design, methods and interpretation of studies can frequently be identified. A huge hidden problem is publication bias, the tendency for positive articles to be published, while negative articles are either not written or submitted. This can systematically lead to an overestimation of the value of treatments, of diagnostic or prognostic studies. Even more worrisome is selective reporting: only a subset of a wide array of tested hypotheses are presented (the ones that turned out to be positive with significance testing). This is particularly true for secondary endpoints and subgroup findings, but even the primary endpoints of trials have been modified when publications are compared to protocols. The peer-review process is fallible. Even if it were strengthened, reviewers cannot examine what is not reported. Hence many problems can only be mitigated with better reporting. Numerous initiatives have proposed guidelines to promote transparent reporting, but progress is slow.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology service, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - O Naggara
- Department of Neuroradiology, Université Paris-Descartes, INSERM UMR 894, Centre hospitalier Sainte-Anne, Paris, Ile de France, France
| | - F Guilbert
- Department of Radiology, Neuroradiology service, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, 8440 112St NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Raymond J, Darsaut TE. We need less research, better research, and research done for the right reasons. Neurochirurgie 2021; 67:413. [PMID: 34311988 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2021.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J Raymond
- Department of radiology, service of neuroradiology, centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - T E Darsaut
- Division of neurosurgery, department of surgery, Mackenzie health sciences centre, university of Alberta hospital, 8440 112St NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Patel M, Au K, Davis FG, Easaw JC, Mehta V, Broad R, Chow MMC, Hockley A, Kaderali Z, Magro E, Nataraj A, Scholtes F, Chagnon M, Gevry G, Raymond J, Darsaut TE. Clinical Uncertainty and Equipoise in the Management of Recurrent Glioblastoma. Am J Clin Oncol 2021; 44:258-263. [PMID: 33782334 DOI: 10.1097/coc.0000000000000812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A significant proportion of glioblastoma (GBM) patients are considered for repeat resection, but evidence regarding best management remains elusive. Our aim was to measure the degree of clinical uncertainty regarding reoperation for patients with recurrent GBM. METHODS We first performed a systematic review of agreement studies examining the question of repeat resection for recurrent GBM. An electronic portfolio of 37 pathologically confirmed recurrent GBM patients including pertinent magnetic resonance images and clinical information was assembled. To measure clinical uncertainty, 26 neurosurgeons from various countries, training backgrounds, and years' experience were asked to select best management (repeat surgery, other nonsurgical management, or conservative), confidence in recommended management, and whether they would include the patient in a randomized trial comparing surgery with nonsurgical options. Agreement was evaluated using κ statistics. RESULTS The literature review did not reveal previous agreement studies examining the question. In our study, agreement regarding best management of recurrent GBM was slight, even when management options were dichotomized (repeat surgery vs. other options; κ=0.198 [95% confidence interval: 0.133-0.276]). Country of practice, years' experience, and training background did not change results. Disagreement and clinical uncertainty were more pronounced within clinicians with (κ=0.167 [0.055-0.314]) than clinicians without neuro-oncology fellowship training (κ=0.601 [0.556-0.646]). A majority (51%) of responders were willing to include the patient in a randomized trial comparing repeat surgery with nonsurgical alternatives in 26/37 (69%) of cases. CONCLUSION There is sufficient uncertainty and equipoise regarding the question of reoperation for patients with recurrent glioblastoma to support the need for a randomized controlled trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukt Patel
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre
| | - Karolyn Au
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre
| | | | - Jacob C Easaw
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB
| | - Vivek Mehta
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre
| | - Robert Broad
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre
| | - Michael M C Chow
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre
| | - Aaron Hockley
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre
| | - Zul Kaderali
- Section of Neurosurgery, GB1-Health Sciences Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Elsa Magro
- Neurosurgery service, CHU Cavale Blanche, INSERM UMR 1101 LaTIM, Boulevard Tanguy-Prigent Brest, France
| | - Andrew Nataraj
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre
| | | | - Miguel Chagnon
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, André-Aisenstadt Pavillon (AA-5190)
| | - Guylaine Gevry
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier of University of Montreal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jean Raymond
- Department of Radiology, Centre Hospitalier of University of Montreal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tim E Darsaut
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Alberta Hospital, Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre
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50
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Macdonald RL, Hänggi D, Ko NU, Darsaut TE, Carlson AP, Wong GK, Etminan N, Mayer SA, Aldrich EF, Diringer MN, Ng D, Strange P, Bleck T, Grubb R, Suarez JI. NEWTON-2 Cisternal (Nimodipine Microparticles to Enhance Recovery While Reducing Toxicity After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage): A Phase 2, Multicenter, Randomized, Open-Label Safety Study of Intracisternal EG-1962 in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage. Neurosurgery 2021; 88:E13-E26. [PMID: 32985652 DOI: 10.1093/neuros/nyaa430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A sustained release microparticle formulation of nimodipine (EG-1962) was developed for treatment of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). OBJECTIVE To assess safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of intracisternal EG-1962 in an open-label, randomized, phase 2 study of up to 12 subjects. METHODS Subjects were World Federation of Neurological Surgeons grades 1 to 2, modified Fisher grades 2 to 4, and underwent aneurysm clipping within 48 h of aSAH. EG-1962, containing 600 mg nimodipine, was administered into the basal cisterns. Outcome on the extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (eGOS), pharmacokinetics, delayed cerebral ischemia and infarction, rescue therapy, and safety were evaluated. RESULTS The study was halted when a phase 3 study of intraventricular EG-1962 stopped because that study was unlikely to meet its primary endpoint. Six subjects were randomized (5 EG-1962 and 1 oral nimodipine). After 90-d follow-up, favorable outcome on the eGOS occurred in 1 of 5 EG-1962 and in the single oral nimodipine patient. Four EG-1962 and the oral nimodipine subject had angiographic vasospasm. One EG-1962 subject had delayed cerebral ischemia, and all subjects with angiographic vasospasm received rescue therapy except 1 EG-1962 patient. One subject treated with EG-1962 developed right internal carotid and middle cerebral artery narrowing 5 mo after placement of EG-1962, leading to occlusion and cerebral infarction. Pharmacokinetics showed similar plasma concentrations of nimodipine in both groups. CONCLUSION Angiographic vasospasm and unfavorable clinical outcome still occurred after placement of EG-1962. Internal carotid artery narrowing and occlusion after placement of EG-1962 in the basal cisterns has not been reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Loch Macdonald
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, Fresno, California.,Edge Therapeutics, Berkeley Heights, New Jersey
| | - Daniel Hänggi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Düsseldorf University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Nerissa U Ko
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Tim E Darsaut
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Andrew P Carlson
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - George K Wong
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Nima Etminan
- University Medical Center Mannheim, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephan A Mayer
- Department of Neurology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - E Francois Aldrich
- Neurological Surgery, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Michael N Diringer
- Neurological Critical Care, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | | | - Poul Strange
- Integrated Medical Development LLC, Princeton, New Jersey
| | - Thomas Bleck
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Robert Grubb
- Neurological Surgery, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jose I Suarez
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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