Physician in the Loop
For youSign inAsk
Neurosurgery ·

Nine-center study reports seizure control with RNS plus resection or ablation; MRI quantifies shunt flow; FDA backs two cervical devices

An operating microscope on a wheeled stand with an articulated boom arm, its binocular head angled down and an amber light ring at the lens.
THE SHORT READ

A nine-center study in the Journal of Neurosurgery reported one-year seizure reductions of 53% to 69% when responsive neurostimulation was combined with resection or laser ablation in 73 patients. Other developments included phase-contrast MRI to measure shunt flow, a two-level approval for a cervical disc, clearances for a 3D-printed cervical implant and Stryker's Sonopet 3 ultrasonic aspirator, and long-term animal data for a brain-computer interface.

THE DETAILS
  • Research Oct 16, 2026
    Nine-center study of 73 patients reports 53% to 69% seizure reductions after RNS combined with resection or laser ablation
    A retrospective study in the Journal of Neurosurgery included 73 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who received responsive neurostimulation (RNS) with resection or laser interstitial thermal therapy at nine epilepsy centers. Procedures were done the same day in 89% of patients, and indications included eloquent cortex involvement (67%) and multifocal seizure onset (33%). At one year, mean seizure reductions by seizure type ranged from 53% to 69%, including 67% for focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures, and 48% of patients had at least six months of seizure freedom. Three patients had infections, and one died of causes unrelated to surgery.
    Sources: Journal of Neurosurgery, PubMed
  • Technology Oct 16, 2026
    Phase-contrast MRI measures ventricular shunt flow in 207 patients and identifies failure in three
    Researchers from Children's Hospital Los Angeles and other institutions added a phase-contrast MRI shunt flow sequence to clinically indicated brain MRI in 207 patients with ventricular shunts, 98% of them ventriculoperitoneal, in a prospective single-center study in the Journal of Neurosurgery. Mean cerebrospinal fluid flow was 9.9 ± 8 mL/hour (range 0.5 to 54 mL/hour), and repeat scans in 11 patients showed no significant difference (P = .83). The sequence identified alterations that showed failure in three patients and avoided unnecessary surgery in a fourth, the authors said.
    Sources: Journal of Neurosurgery, PubMed
  • FDA Oct 14, 2026
    FDA approves two-level use of Centinel Spine's prodisc C Nova cervical total disc replacement
    Centinel Spine said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two-level use of its prodisc C Nova cervical total disc replacement, which features flat endplates with low-profile keels. The company said it now has three prodisc cervical disc devices approved for both one- and two-level use. The device is available on a limited-release basis in the U.S. and has been in clinical use outside the U.S. since 2009, according to the company. The release reported no clinical data.
    Sources: Centinel Spine, Becker's Spine Review
  • FDA Oct 13, 2026
    FDA clears Providence Medical Technology's 3D-printed porous titanium CORUS PCSS 3D-T posterior cervical implant
    Providence Medical Technology said it received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for its CORUS Posterior Cervical Stabilization System 3D-T, indicated to immobilize and stabilize spinal segments as an adjunct to posterior cervical fusion. The new version adds a porous titanium lattice engineered to mimic cancellous bone, with 1.5 times the surface area and eight times the surface roughness of the original machined implant, according to the company. A randomized trial of the previous-generation device found higher fusion rates at 12 and 24 months, the company said; the release cited no clinical data for the new implant.
    Sources: Providence Medical Technology, Becker's Spine Review
  • FDA Oct 14, 2026
    Stryker receives FDA 510(k) clearance for Sonopet 3 ultrasonic bone and soft tissue removal platform
    Stryker said Oct. 14 that it received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Sonopet 3, its latest ultrasonic bone and soft tissue removal platform. The system adds Pulse Control, which the company said provides an added ability to regulate the resection of hard and soft tissues, and RISE, a connected surgical workflow. The first clinical cases are expected to begin in October, with full commercial launch later this fall, the company said.
    Source: Stryker
  • Technology Oct 12, 2026
    Paradromics reports more than four years of stable neural recording in two sheep with its BCI electrode technology
    Paradromics said cortical modules representative of the electrode technology in its Connexus brain-computer interface showed more than four years of stable neural recording and decoding performance in two sheep, with no electrode-array migration observed, NeuroNews International reported. In another ongoing study of the full platform in six sheep, spike signal-to-noise ratio has remained stable for nearly two years, according to the company. The results are company-reported animal data, and the report named no peer-reviewed publication.
    Source: NeuroNews International

The weekly innovation roundup for neurosurgery, published every Sunday for the week before; every item links to its sources. Latest neurosurgery news · All specialties