Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40789217›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurosurgery. Case lessons2025

Successful use of electrosurgery in an occipitocervical fusion procedure in a patient with an established cochlear implant: illustrative case.

M Kathryn McIntosh, Murray Hong, David P Morris, P Daniel McNeely, Simon Walling, Sean D Christie

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurosurgery. Case lessons, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

M Kathryn McIntoshDalhousie Medical School, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-3065-5932
Murray HongDepartment of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
David P MorrisDalhousie Medical School, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
P Daniel McNeelyDalhousie Medical School, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Simon WallingDalhousie Medical School, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Sean D ChristieDalhousie Medical School, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-3540-6022

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNeurotechnology is rapidly evolving, challenging surgeons to expand their expertise in managing patients with implanted devices. More than 700,000 persons use cochlear implants. Many others have implanted pacemakers and neuromodulation devices. Understanding electrosurgical interactions is critical for patient safety, yet the literature on this remains limited. Conventional electrosurgery, which uses high-frequency alternating current for hemostasis, is contraindicated in cochlear implant users due to the risk of electromagnetic interference (EMI). EMI can cause heating, component malfunction, or device failure. Despite shielding, induction currents and voltage surges may exceed device tolerance, posing risks. OBSERVATIONS: While PlasmaBlade safety is documented in cardiac surgery, its use in neurosurgery is underreported. The authors present a case demonstrating its safe application during an occipitocervical fusion in a 17-year-old with an established cochlear implant. The PlasmaBlade enabled exposure without affecting implant integrity or auditory function. LESSONS: As neurotechnology becomes increasingly prevalent, using innovative safety strategies, including monitoring electromagnetic fields, and adopting refined technologies like the PlasmaBlade will be impactful. These advancements have the potential to improve patient outcomes and ensure safer care for individuals with implanted devices. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE25167.

Indexed as

case reportcauterycochlear prosthesiselectromagneticselectrosurgery

Identifiers

PMID40789217
PMCPMC12337984

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.