Recently, staff from the hospital’s orthopedic, research and quality teams attended the 4th annual Safety in Spine Surgery Summit in New York City, New York. The one-day course included spine surgeons, surgical spine team members and hospital staff involved with patient safety from across the country to discuss the latest techniques and best practices when caring for a spine patient. 

The hospital had a strong showing with four projects being selected for presentation. As an institution dedicated to quality patient care and safety, the hospital team is recognized as leaders in the field – paving the way for how to best treat and care for a child going through spinal surgery. One of the four studies presented was selected as best paper – Neuromonitoring for AIS: A 20-Year Analysis of AIS Patients Incidence of Critical Changes and Predictive Factors to Define Patients at Risk. The team on the project, led by research coordinator Kiley Poppino, B.S., identified risk factors that could lead to critical changes to the spinal cord monitoring practices used during posterior spinal fusion surgeries for patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis from 1996-2016. The goal was to analyze and optimize the hospital’s current spinal cord monitoring techniques during surgery. 

Other projects presented included:

• Prophylactic Application of Local (intra-wound) Antibiotic Does Not Decrease Acute Surgical Site Infections in AIS Patients
• The Ability to Obtain Transcranial Spinal Cord Monitoring in CMT Patients is Similar to Idiopathic Spinal Deformity When the Sweep Length and Stimulation Voltage are Increased
• Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring During Spine Surgery in Patients with Neurofibromatosis, Type 1

Chief of Staff Daniel J. Sucato, M.D., M.S., is proud to have had such an impactful presence on this year’s summit. “As one of the largest patient populations that we treat, improving the care for our spine patients is a constant priority for the hospital,” says Sucato. “From those in research, to the staff in quality and clinical teams, better understanding the safest way to monitor a patient during spine surgery is crucial. Our best practices are being recognized by leaders at institutions around the country, and we take great pride in that.”

Learn more about the hospital’s spine research.