Neurosurgical management of cranial and spinal pathologies during civil war: Lessons from an isolated neurosurgical department during the insurrection in New Caledonia.
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INTRODUCTION: Since November 2023, a neurosurgery department has been created in Nouméa, New Caledonia. Meanwhile, the 13th of May, 2024 a civil war and a subsequent transient humanitarian crisis dramatically influenced the surgical activity. Several technical and ethical limits have been faced during the "war induced" isolation. CIVIL WAR NEUROSURGICAL EXPERIENCE: During the 2 months long civil war, 52 urgent surgeries have been performed: 27 were cranial and 25 were spinal procedures. Surgical indications were mostly traumatic, infectious, tumoral, CSF related disorders and vascular pathology. One neurosurgeon was systematically locked inside the hospital without the possibility of going out during the 2-6-days shifts. PATIENTS CHARACTERISTICS: Fifty-two patients have been operated: 40 males, and 12 females. The median age was 47 years. Seventeen patients were admitted for spinal fractures (32,7 %) and 7 patients (13,5 %) for skull fractures or post traumatic hematoma. Four patients (7.6 %) were reoperated on for postoperative infection or CSF leaks including one cranial and three spinal patients. CONCLUSION: In this particular situation of civil war, having an available neurosurgeon appears to be of upmost importance to face urgent cranial or spinal surgeries considering the impossibility to transfer any patient. Considering the current conflicts and risks of war around the world we recommend a depot of spinal and cranial neurosurgical tools in every first line neurosurgical department that can cover at least 30 % of the annual activity especially in isolated territories.