ArticleActa neurochirurgica2026
Tubular spinal micro decompression surgery with integrated 2D camera visualization: initial experience and feasibility in Tanzania.
Article in Acta neurochirurgica, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe 2D camera visualization system is a novel, video device that provides high-definition, magnified views of the surgical field through a tubular retractor system. This study reports the initial experience using the novel 2D camera-based visualization system for tubular spinal micro decompression surgery in Tanzania.
methodsThis prospective cohort study, conducted between 2022 and 2024, included 17 patients with one- to two-level lumbar spinal stenosis or disc herniation presenting with radiculopathy and/or claudication who had not responded to conservative management. Data on patient demographics, surgical details, complications, hospital stay, and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores over a six-month follow-up period were collected and analyzed descriptively.
resultsAmong the 17 patients in the study, male were 10 (59%), aged 61 years (IQR: 45-65), presented with L4-L5 spinal stenosis 65% (11/17). The mean preoperative NRS score was 8. The operative time was 150 min (SD: 33), Durotomy occurred in five patients (29%), four of which took place during the first year of implementation. The median hospital stay was three days (IQR: 2-4). One patient (6%) developed Surgical site infection (SSI). Overall, significant improvement in NRS scores was sustained throughout the six-month follow-up period. No intraoperative nerve injuries or neurological deficits were observed.
conclusionThe integration of a tubular-mounted digital camera visualization system is a feasible adjunct for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS) in Tanzania, offering distinct advantages in ergonomics, training, and cost-effectiveness compared with operative microscopy. Although the initial learning curve was associated with a higher incidence of durotomy, outcomes improved with experience.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.