Neurosurgery in the sitting position:
Twenty-eight non-randomised studies were included (n=4,806); 15 were prospective. Rates of venous air embolism were 39% (95% CI 31 to 47) for posterior fossa surgery and 12% (95% CI 7 to 20) for cervical surgery. Clinical and transoesophageal endocardiography detected paradoxical air embolism rates ranged from 0 to 14%.
PFO:
Thirty-three non-randomised studies were included in the review (n=5,416); 19 were prospective and 14 were retrospective.
The pooled success rate across all 33 studies was 99.2% (95% CI 98.5 to 99.6). The pooled minor peri-procedural complication rate was 3.5% (95% CI 2.7 to 4.5; 29 studies). The pooled major complication rate was 1.4% (95% CI 1.1 to 1.9; 30 studies). Thirty-one studies reported residual shunt rates (range 0% to 50%) from immediately after closure to a mean follow-up of 19 months.
Subgroup analysis (15 studies) of most common and current PFO closure devices (early clinical experience excluded) indicated a pooled success rate of 99% (95% CI to 99 to 99.7). Thirteen studies reported minor (4%, 95% CI 2.4 to 5.6) and major (1%, 95% CI 0.7 to 1.8) peri-procedural complication rates.