BACKGROUND Routine preoperative testing is not recommended for patients undergoing cataract surgery, because testing neither decreases adverse events nor improves outcomes. We sought to assess adherence to this guideline, estimate expenditures from potentially unnecessary testing, and identify patient and health care system characteristics associated with potentially unnecessary testing. METH...

BACKGROUND Routine preoperative testing is ineffective and costly. We explored reasons for the continued use of unnecessary preoperative tests and approaches to limit such testing. METHODS We interviewed 23 physicians and nurse administrators involved in preoperative decision-making in our local health care environment. We conducted interviews using a semi-structured format and analyzed the d...

BACKGROUND Postoperative axial symptoms (post-AS) after single-door cervical laminoplasty for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) are a common and severe complication that adversely affects normal daily activities. Their etiology remains unclear. It is important to know which preoperative factors are the most predictive of post-AS. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the preoperative fac...

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to analyze prognostic factors affecting surgical outcomes of expansive laminoplasty for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). METHODS Using the Frankel scale and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scale, we retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of 45 consecutive patients who underwent modified unilateral open-door laminoplasty using hydroxyapatite spacers and m...

Objective: To analyze the survival time and functional outcome of patients with thoracic metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) after operation and to identify parameters influencing the postoperative survival time. Methods: Sixty-seven consecutive patients with thoracic MSCC who were performed with posterior decompression and spine stabilization from January 2010 to December 2014 were retro...