Before the Knife: A Detailed Step-by-Step Description of an Optimized Semi-Sitting Position in Posterior Fossa...

In an ample armamentarium in neurosurgery, the semi-sitting position has produced debate regarding its benefits and risks. Although the position is apparently intuitive, many have abandoned its use since its initial inception, because of reported complexity and potential complications, leading to impracticality. However, through standardization, it has been shown not only to be safe but to carry with it many advantages, including less risk of secondary neurovascular injuries and better visualization of the surgical field. As with any surgical technical nuance, the semi-sitting position has advantages and disadvantages that must be weighed before the decision is made to adopt it or not, not only in a case-by-case scenario but also from a departmental standpoint. As we attempt to show, the advantages from a standardized approach for the semi-sitting position in experienced institutions may be more than sufficient to significantly outweigh the disadvantages, making it the preferable option for most, although not all, posterior fossa surgical interventions.

In the present study, we aim to elaborate a straightforward narrative of the steps before incision, in an attempt to simplify the complexity of the position, alleviating its disadvantages and exponentially concentrating on its benefits. In nearly 100 steps, we carefully describe the points that culminate with the skin incision, initiating the intraoperative part of the procedure. Each step, therefore, is detailed in full, not in an effort to create a strict manual of the semi-sitting position but rather to facilitate understanding and put the technique into effect in a real-life scenario, thus simplifying what some depict as complex and time consuming.

Although several of the steps described are also relevant and integral parts of other surgical positioning, we intend to create a protocol, in a stepwise fashion, to allow facilitated following, to be easily implemented in departments with different levels of experience. The steps comprise nursing care through to electrophysiologic and anesthesiologic approaches, along with neurosurgical cooperation, making it a team approach, not only to avoid position-related complications but also to optimize preoperative standardization, constructing a safe, efficient, and patient-centered scenario, to set the best possible stage for the next step: the intraoperative part of the intervention.