Objective: This study characterizes the demographic and clinical profiles of patients undergoing unilateral biportal endoscopic spine surgery (UBE ESS) for lumbar decompression/discectomy at a tertiary hospital in Singapore. It examines service implementation across multiple senior surgeons, evaluates preliminary clinical outcomes, and describes the learning curve observed during early adoption among surgeons already experienced in minimally invasive spine surgery, benchmarked against international standards. In the context of increasing global uptake of endoscopic techniques, this work provides evidence to inform institutional adoption and surgeon training. This analysis forms part of a multi-paper series comparing surgeon experience and patient outcomes between conventional minimally invasive approaches and UBE ESS for lumbar decompression/discectomy. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 111 patients who underwent UBE lumbar decompression/discectomy at a public tertiary hospital between October 2022 and April 2024. Data on patient demographics, comorbidities, presenting symptoms, operative details, and clinical outcomes, including visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) health domains, were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. Results: The mean patient age was 56.8 years, with a slight female predominance (54.1%). Statistically significant improvements were observed in VAS scores for both back and leg pain (p<0.05), alongside significant gains in SF-36 domains including physical functioning, bodily pain, vitality, and social functioning. Operative times decreased progressively with increasing case volume, consistent with the presence of a procedural learning curve. Conclusion UBE ESS for lumbar decompression/discectomy is a safe and efficacious technique that can be successfully adopted by spinal surgeons with prior minimally invasive surgical experience. Operative time demonstrates a meaningful reduction once the initial learning curve has been overcome. ESS provides a reproducible option for the treatment of degenerative lumbar spine disease in the tertiary hospital setting in Singapore, with outcomes comparable to established international benchmarks. Future work will include long-term follow-up of this patient cohort and direct comparison with conventional minimally invasive techniques in subsequent studies.

Objective: Spinal stenosis and degenerative spinal disorders are increasingly prevalent and have a substantial impact on quality of life. Surgical decompression, performed using either open microscopic or endoscopic approaches, remains a cornerstone of management for these conditions. This study examines evolving trends in single-level lumbar spinal decompression procedures performed at a tertiary academic hospital in Singapore. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted involving 588 patients who underwent single-level spinal decompression between 2021 and 2024, including endoscopic spine surgery (ESS; n=364) and microdecompression (n=224). Primary outcome measures were changes in 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores at 3 months, 6 months, and 2 years postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included length of hospital stay, reoperation rates, and operative time. Patient demographics, spinal level and pathology characteristics, surgical techniques, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. Difference-in-differences (DID) analysis was used to compare outcomes between the 2 groups. Results: Both groups demonstrated significant postoperative improvements in SF-36 and VAS scores. At 2 years, Short Form Health Survey physical function (SFPF) scores improved in the endoscopic group (mean difference [MD], 18.6; standard deviation [SD], 21.7; p=0.064) and in the open microscopic group (MD, 36.7; SD, 20.9; p=0.007), with a non-significant DID of -18.1 (p=0.155). No DID comparisons across SF-36 domains reached statistical significance. Mean operative time for endoscopic procedures decreased from 249 minutes in 2022 to 145 minutes in 2024, reflecting a procedural learning curve. Surgeons with higher endoscopic caseloads exhibited greater improvements in functional outcomes. Conclusion Both endoscopic and open microscopic decompression achieve comparable short- and long-term clinical outcomes. ESS provides similar effectiveness while being associated with shorter recovery periods and reduced hospital stay. Further research is warranted to identify factors contributing to incomplete symptom resolution or the need for revision surgery.

INTRODUCTIONThis study aims to describe the factors associated with surgical site infection (SSI) in elderly patients who underwent hip hemiarthroplasty following a hip fracture, in a single institution over a nine-year period.

METHODSAll patients who underwent hip hemiarthroplasty between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2012 in our hospital were included in the present study. The detection of SSI was carried out by a trained, independent infection control nurse using the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Demographic and clinical data were collected retrospectively. Demographics and clinical factors were analysed for potential associations with SSI.

RESULTSAmong the 1,320 patients who met the study inclusion criteria, a total 57 SSIs were documented, giving an infection rate of 4.3%. Patients who waited for more than one week for surgery had a statistically significantly higher risk of SSI (odds ratio 3.030, 95% confidence interval 1.075-8.545, p = 0.036). The presence of SSI was also significantly associated with increased length of hospital stay (p < 0.001). The two main microorganisms detected were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which accounted for 50.9% and 26.3% of the SSIs, respectively.

CONCLUSIONWe concluded that the number of days from admission to surgery is a main risk factor for the development of SSI. Steps should, therefore, be taken to prevent unnecessary delay of surgery in elderly patients requiring hip hemiarthroplasty.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Hemiarthroplasty ; adverse effects ; Hip Joint ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Surgical Wound Infection ; epidemiology

INTRODUCTIONThe present study aimed to assess the demographic, socioeconomic, medical and lifestyle factors associated with the progression of a threatened miscarriage to a complete miscarriage in the first trimester.

METHODSA prospective cohort study was conducted on 157 women who presented with vaginal bleeding in the fifth to tenth week of gestation. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors for progression to a complete miscarriage within 16 weeks of gestation.

RESULTSOf the 139 women included for data analysis, 36 (25.9%) had a miscarriage, mostly within two weeks of presentation. The results of our study showed that women aged ≥ 34 years were more likely to miscarry (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.95). Compared to women whose partner was 20-30 years of age, women whose partner was ≥ 41 years of age also had a higher likelihood of experiencing a miscarriage (HR = 8.33). However, the presence of nausea (HR = 0.33) and a high stress score (i.e. ≥ 17) on the Perceived Stress Scale (HR = 0.49) were associated with a reduced likelihood of miscarriage.

CONCLUSIONOlder pregnant women experiencing a threatened miscarriage should be counselled about their higher risk of miscarriage, especially if they have an older partner.

Abortion, Spontaneous ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Demography ; Female ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Life Style ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Socioeconomic Factors