Research Focus

Neurology

Area of Research

Clinical neurosurgery, with a focus on pediatric neurosurgery, neuroendoscopy, patient oriented outcome (PROMS), and blood thinners in neurosurgery.

• SECA-Trial (Surgical Evacuation of Chronic subdural hematoma and Aspirin) is a randomized multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The aim of this study is to compare the relapse rate, the peri- and postoperative bleeding risk, as well as the rate of perioperative cardiovascular complications, of patients receiving trephination for the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma, with and without discontinuation of aspirin cardio.
• NaVPS (stereotactic versus ultrasound navigated ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement) is a randomized controlled trial. The aim of this study is to compare the accuracy of ultrasound guided and stereotactic guided insertion of the ventriculoperitoneal shunt catheter in to the ventricles.
• Swiss-PBTB(Swiss Pediatric Brain Tumor Database) is a prospective Database including all patients undergoing surgical treatment of a pediatric brain tumor.
• NEAC(Neuroendoscopy and Cognition Data Base)  is a prospective Trial evaluating the neurocognitive outcome and PROMS (patient reported outcome measures) of patients undergoing neuroendoscopic surgery.
• DISSIP-Trial (Dermabond Prineo for wound closure after Intradural Spine Surgery In Pediatric patients) is a prospective cohort study in children and infants that examines the efficiency and safety, as well as the complication rate and cosmetic outcome after skin closure using Dermabond Prineo in intradural spinal surgery.
• Trophy Register- (Treatment of post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus in neonates)is a prospective multicenter database including preterm babies suffering from intraventricular bleeding and analyzing the effect of endoscopic washout on the rate of ventriculoperitoneal shunts. This study is done in cooperation with the pediatric Neurosurgery Charite clinic in Berlin, Germany

National Collaborations

• Neurosurgery, Kantonsspital Aarau (Prof. Dr. med. Schubert, Prof. Dr. med. Marbacher)
• Neurosurgery, Inselspital, University of Bern (Prof. Dr. med. Raabe, Prof. Dr. med. Schucht, Dr. med. Katharina Lutz)
• Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV) (PD Dr. med. Messerer)
• Neurosurgery, Kantonsspital St. Gallen (Prof. Dr. med. Bozinov, Dr. med. Hickmann)
• Neurosurgery, Kantonsspital Chur (PD Dr. med. Zweifel)
• Cardiovascular Research Group, University Hospital of Basel (Prof. Dr. med. Müller)
• Neurology (Stroke Center), University Hospital of Basel (Prof. Dr. med. Fischer)
• Interventional Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Basel (Prof. Dr. med. Psychogios, Dr. med. Blackham)
• Pediatric oral surgery and maxillofacial surgery, University Hospital of Basel (Prof. Dr. Dr. Thieringer, Prof. Dr. Dr. Kunz, Dr. Dr. Benitez)
• Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Children’s University Hospital of Basel/Kantonsspital St. Gallen (Prof. von der Weid, Dr. Scheinemann)
• Pediatric Neurology, Children’s University Hospital of Basel (PD Dr. med. Datta)
• As part of the Department of Surgery, the research group is a part of the Surgical Outcome Research Center Basel (SORC-B) collaborating on a variety of projects

International Collaborations

• Pediatric Neurosurgery, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Israel (Prof. Constantini, Prof. Roth)
• Neurosurgery, Tel Aviv Medical Center (Prof. Roth)
• Pediatric Neurosurgery, Charite, Berlin, Germany (Prof. Thomale)
• Pediatric Neurosurgery, Thübingen, Germany (Prof. Schuhmann)
• Pediatric Neurosurgery, Napoly, Italy (Prof. Cinalli)

Several prospective randomized trials are in the initiation phase addressing topics such as neuroendoscopy in normal preassure hydrocephalus, treatment of hydrocephalus in children after brain tumor surgery, the management of blood thinners after craniotomy. In addition, we are conducting several prospective and retrospective cohort studies that address a wide range of issues in general neurosurgery, neuroendoscopy, traumatic brain injury, patient reported outcome measures after neurosurgical procedures, and various projects in pediatric neurosurgery. We have a great amount of projects focused on patients from our center, but also many projects in collaboration with national and international centers.