Degenerative lumbar disease is a common condition in which progressive deterioration of the structures in the spine causes severely incapacitating pain and disability. Conservative management, including passive or active physical therapy, activity modification, and medications (eg, anti‐inflammatory medications, oral and injectable steroids, opioids), may provide relief. However, when conservative management is unsuccessful or patients experience symptoms for an extended period of time, they may require spine surgery. Surgeons use a variety of techniques to perform lumbar fusion procedures with instrumentation, including open, percutaneous, minimally invasive, and robotic‐assisted with navigation. The accuracy of pedicle‐screw placement varies according to the technique used, and accuracy rates are high after robotic‐assisted with navigation procedures. In addition, robotic‐assisted spine procedures result in fewer infections than non–robotic‐assisted spine procedures (P = .04). Perioperative nurses should understand basic lumbar spine anatomy, steps completed during robotic‐assisted lumbar spine surgery, and the nursing considerations for patients undergoing this type of procedure.

Epilepsy is the fourth leading neurologic disorder in the United States and affects the quality of life of approximately 2.9 million Americans. Despite modern progress in medicine and technology, the disease may prove to be drug resistant, a condition that serves as a primary indication to consider invasive treatment modalities. Current evidence supports the efficacy of early surgical intervention for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, although this approach continues to be underused. The positive outcomes of epilepsy surgery are a result of multidisciplinary efforts, and perioperative nurses play a vital role in the continuum of care for this patient population. In the effort to optimize nursing care for patients with epilepsy, this article provides a clinical review of epilepsy as a neurologic disorder and specifically focuses on surgical interventions and perioperative nursing considerations.

Cervical disc disease includes chronic disc degeneration, stenosis, spondylosis, and disc herniation; providers initially treat these conditions conservatively through symptomatic care. When conservative measures fail, surgery may be indicated. It is important to explore all the surgical options available and the risks and benefits of each procedure. An anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a procedure involving the removal of disc material to achieve neural tissue decompression and placement of a bone graft or interbody implant and a cervical plate and screws to stabilize the spinal column at one or more vertebral levels. This article briefly reviews the anatomy of the spine and treatment options for cervical disc disease; presents an in‐depth review of the ACDF procedure, including the expected perioperative course and care considerations; and concludes with a case report of a 37‐year‐old woman who underwent an ACDF at the C5‐C6 and C6‐C7 vertebral levels of the spine.

No abstract