Scholars@Duke
Alvan- Emeka Ukachukwu

Alvan- Emeka Ukachukwu

Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery
alvan.ukachukwu@duke.edu
DUMC 3807, Durham, NC 27710
310 Trent Drive, Room 329, Durham, NC 27710
Office hours On appointment. Send email to alvan.ukachukwu@duke.edu  
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Selected Publications

A guide to interpreting systematic reviews and meta-analyses in neurosurgery and surgery.

Journal Article Acta Neurochir (Wien) · June 4, 2024 INTRODUCTION: Systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) are methods of data analysis used to synthesize information presented in multiple publications on the same topic. A thorough understanding of the steps involved in conducting this type of resea ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Scope, Trends, and Challenges of Neurosurgical Research in Nigeria: A Bibliometric Review.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the scope, trends, and challenges of neurosurgical research in Nigeria since inception of the specialty in 1962. METHODS: A bibliometric review of the neurosurgical literature from Nigeria was performed. Variables extract ... Full text Link to item Cite

Profile of Pediatric Neurosurgery in Nigeria from 1962 to 2021: A Systematic Review.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of pediatric neurosurgery in Nigeria, since 1962, by assessing epidemiological data, management strategies, and case outcomes. METHODS: A systematic bibliometric review of Nigerian neurosurgica ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Status of Specialist Neurosurgical Training in Nigeria: A Survey of Practitioners, Trainers, and Trainees.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: Despite the well-known neurosurgical workforce deficit in Sub-Saharan Africa, there remains a low number of neurosurgical training programs in Nigeria. This study sought to reassess the current status of specialist neurosurgical training in the ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Role of International Collaborations in Sustainable Neurosurgical Development in Nigeria.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: Despite 6 decades of existence, neurosurgery is still in the developing stages in Nigeria. In this era of collaborative health system capacity-building in low- and middle-income countries, this article reviews past efforts and future prospects f ... Full text Link to item Cite

Neurosurgical Practice, Training, and Research Capacity Assessment in Nigeria: A Methodological Approach.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: There has been a progressive growth of neurosurgery in Nigeria over the past 6 nulldecades. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the state of neurosurgical practice, training, and research in the country. METHODS: We used a mixed-methods ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Geospatial Analysis of the Availability, Distribution, and Accessibility of Neurosurgical Facilities, Workforce, and Infrastructure in Nigeria; and Projection Towards 2050.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: There has been a modest but progressive increase in the neurosurgical workforce, training, and service delivery in Nigeria in the last 2 decades. However, these resources are unevenly distributed. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the av ... Full text Link to item Cite

Epidemiological Burden of Neurotrauma in Nigeria: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis of 45,763 Patients.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: Neurotrauma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. We conducted this systematic review to generate nationally generalizable reference data for the country. METHODS: Four research databases and gray literature sources were ... Full text Link to item Cite

Assessing the Neurosurgical Capacity in Nigeria Using the Modified Neuro-PIPES Tool.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 BACKGROUND: Like many low- and-middle-income countries in Africa, documented assessment of the neurosurgical workforce, equipment, infrastructure, and scope of service delivery in Nigeria is lacking. This study aimed to assess the capacity for the delivery ... Full text Link to item Cite

Epidemiology and Management Trends of Neuro-Oncology in Nigeria: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: Access to neuro-oncologic care in Nigeria has grown exponentially since the first reported cases in the mid-1960s. In this systematic review and pooled analysis, we characterize the growth of neurosurgical oncology in Nigeria and build a referen ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Epidemiological Burden of Neurovascular Pathology in Nigeria: A Systematic Review and Pooled Patient-Level Analysis.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: Vascular neurosurgery has developed significantly in Nigeria, but its burden and challenges remain unclear. This study systematically reviewed vascular neurosurgical literature from Nigeria. METHODS: Four research databases and gray literature s ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Epidemiology of Spinal Neurosurgery in Nigeria: A Systematic Review and Patient-Level Analysis.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: Spinal pathologies are prevalent in Nigeria, though epidemiological data remains sparse. This systematic review used pooled patient-level data from across the country to generate a standardized epidemiological reference. METHODS: Four research d ... Full text Link to item Cite

Women in Nigerian Neurosurgery: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 BACKGROUND: Although women have made remarkable strides in several medical specialties in Sub-Saharan Africa, their presence and contribution to the development of neurosurgery remain limited. We sought to study the gender differences within Nigerian neuro ... Full text Link to item Cite

Perceived Barriers to Pursuing a Career in Neurosurgery in Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Nigerian Medical Students and Unspecialized Physicians.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 BACKGROUND: Nigeria has an inadequate number of neurosurgeons to meet the population's demand for neurosurgical care. Furthermore, few Nigerian neurosurgeons are female. This study sought to evaluate perceived barriers to pursuing neurosurgery among Nigeri ... Full text Link to item Cite

Innovations in Spine Surgery: A Narrative Review of Current Integrative Technologies.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · April 2024 Neurosurgical technologies have become increasingly more adaptive, featuring real-time and patient-specific guidance in preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative settings. This review offers insight into how these integrative innovations compare with ... Full text Link to item Cite

Management and outcomes of pediatric traumatic brain injury in Africa: a systematic review.

Journal Article J Neurosurg Pediatr · February 1, 2024 OBJECTIVE: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) carries a major global burden of disease; however, it is well established that patients in low- and middle-income countries, such as those in Africa, have higher mortality rates. Pediatric TBI, specifically, is a doc ... Full text Link to item Cite

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on global neurosurgery collaborations.

Journal Article World neurosurgery: X · January 2024 Full text Cite

The feasibility, appropriateness, and usability of mobile neuro clinics in addressing the neurosurgical and neurological demand in Uganda.

Journal Article PLoS One · 2024 INTRODUCTION: Uganda has a high demand for neurosurgical and neurological care. 78% of the over 50 million population reside in rural and remote communities where access to neurosurgical and neurological services is lacking. This study aimed to determine t ... Full text Link to item Cite

A guide to interpreting systematic reviews and meta-analyses in neurosurgery and surgery.

Journal Article Acta Neurochir (Wien) · June 4, 2024 INTRODUCTION: Systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) are methods of data analysis used to synthesize information presented in multiple publications on the same topic. A thorough understanding of the steps involved in conducting this type of resea ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Scope, Trends, and Challenges of Neurosurgical Research in Nigeria: A Bibliometric Review.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the scope, trends, and challenges of neurosurgical research in Nigeria since inception of the specialty in 1962. METHODS: A bibliometric review of the neurosurgical literature from Nigeria was performed. Variables extract ... Full text Link to item Cite

Profile of Pediatric Neurosurgery in Nigeria from 1962 to 2021: A Systematic Review.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of pediatric neurosurgery in Nigeria, since 1962, by assessing epidemiological data, management strategies, and case outcomes. METHODS: A systematic bibliometric review of Nigerian neurosurgica ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Status of Specialist Neurosurgical Training in Nigeria: A Survey of Practitioners, Trainers, and Trainees.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: Despite the well-known neurosurgical workforce deficit in Sub-Saharan Africa, there remains a low number of neurosurgical training programs in Nigeria. This study sought to reassess the current status of specialist neurosurgical training in the ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Role of International Collaborations in Sustainable Neurosurgical Development in Nigeria.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: Despite 6 decades of existence, neurosurgery is still in the developing stages in Nigeria. In this era of collaborative health system capacity-building in low- and middle-income countries, this article reviews past efforts and future prospects f ... Full text Link to item Cite

Neurosurgical Practice, Training, and Research Capacity Assessment in Nigeria: A Methodological Approach.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: There has been a progressive growth of neurosurgery in Nigeria over the past 6 nulldecades. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the state of neurosurgical practice, training, and research in the country. METHODS: We used a mixed-methods ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Geospatial Analysis of the Availability, Distribution, and Accessibility of Neurosurgical Facilities, Workforce, and Infrastructure in Nigeria; and Projection Towards 2050.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: There has been a modest but progressive increase in the neurosurgical workforce, training, and service delivery in Nigeria in the last 2 decades. However, these resources are unevenly distributed. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the av ... Full text Link to item Cite

Epidemiological Burden of Neurotrauma in Nigeria: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis of 45,763 Patients.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: Neurotrauma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. We conducted this systematic review to generate nationally generalizable reference data for the country. METHODS: Four research databases and gray literature sources were ... Full text Link to item Cite

Assessing the Neurosurgical Capacity in Nigeria Using the Modified Neuro-PIPES Tool.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 BACKGROUND: Like many low- and-middle-income countries in Africa, documented assessment of the neurosurgical workforce, equipment, infrastructure, and scope of service delivery in Nigeria is lacking. This study aimed to assess the capacity for the delivery ... Full text Link to item Cite

Epidemiology and Management Trends of Neuro-Oncology in Nigeria: A Systematic Review and Pooled Analysis.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: Access to neuro-oncologic care in Nigeria has grown exponentially since the first reported cases in the mid-1960s. In this systematic review and pooled analysis, we characterize the growth of neurosurgical oncology in Nigeria and build a referen ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Epidemiological Burden of Neurovascular Pathology in Nigeria: A Systematic Review and Pooled Patient-Level Analysis.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: Vascular neurosurgery has developed significantly in Nigeria, but its burden and challenges remain unclear. This study systematically reviewed vascular neurosurgical literature from Nigeria. METHODS: Four research databases and gray literature s ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Epidemiology of Spinal Neurosurgery in Nigeria: A Systematic Review and Patient-Level Analysis.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 OBJECTIVE: Spinal pathologies are prevalent in Nigeria, though epidemiological data remains sparse. This systematic review used pooled patient-level data from across the country to generate a standardized epidemiological reference. METHODS: Four research d ... Full text Link to item Cite

Women in Nigerian Neurosurgery: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 BACKGROUND: Although women have made remarkable strides in several medical specialties in Sub-Saharan Africa, their presence and contribution to the development of neurosurgery remain limited. We sought to study the gender differences within Nigerian neuro ... Full text Link to item Cite

Perceived Barriers to Pursuing a Career in Neurosurgery in Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Nigerian Medical Students and Unspecialized Physicians.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2024 BACKGROUND: Nigeria has an inadequate number of neurosurgeons to meet the population's demand for neurosurgical care. Furthermore, few Nigerian neurosurgeons are female. This study sought to evaluate perceived barriers to pursuing neurosurgery among Nigeri ... Full text Link to item Cite

Innovations in Spine Surgery: A Narrative Review of Current Integrative Technologies.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · April 2024 Neurosurgical technologies have become increasingly more adaptive, featuring real-time and patient-specific guidance in preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative settings. This review offers insight into how these integrative innovations compare with ... Full text Link to item Cite

Management and outcomes of pediatric traumatic brain injury in Africa: a systematic review.

Journal Article J Neurosurg Pediatr · February 1, 2024 OBJECTIVE: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) carries a major global burden of disease; however, it is well established that patients in low- and middle-income countries, such as those in Africa, have higher mortality rates. Pediatric TBI, specifically, is a doc ... Full text Link to item Cite

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on global neurosurgery collaborations.

Journal Article World neurosurgery: X · January 2024 Full text Cite

The feasibility, appropriateness, and usability of mobile neuro clinics in addressing the neurosurgical and neurological demand in Uganda.

Journal Article PLoS One · 2024 INTRODUCTION: Uganda has a high demand for neurosurgical and neurological care. 78% of the over 50 million population reside in rural and remote communities where access to neurosurgical and neurological services is lacking. This study aimed to determine t ... Full text Link to item Cite

Epilepsy among the older population of sub-Saharan Africa: Analysis of the global burden of disease database.

Journal Article Epilepsy Behav · October 2023 INTRODUCTION: Epilepsy is considered one of the most burdensome neurologic diseases by the World Health Organization due to the high risk of morbidity and mortality. Few studies have investigated the epidemiology of idiopathic epilepsy in Sub-Saharan Afric ... Full text Link to item Cite

Transnational Capacity Building Efforts in Global Neurosurgery: A Review and Analysis of Their Impact and Determinants of Success.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · May 2023 BACKGROUND: Neurosurgical capacity building efforts attempt to address the shortage of neurosurgeons and lack of neurosurgical capacity in low- and middle-income countries. This review sought to characterize neurosurgical capacity building efforts in low- ... Full text Link to item Cite

Fulfilling the specialist neurosurgical workforce needs in Africa: a systematic review and projection toward 2030.

Journal Article J Neurosurg · April 1, 2023 OBJECTIVE: Africa contributes significantly to the global neurosurgical disease burden but has only 1% of the neurosurgery workforce. This study appraises the neurosurgical workforce and training capacity in Africa and projects the workforce capacity by 20 ... Full text Link to item Cite

Understanding the Ghanaian Neurosurgical Literature: A Scoping Review and Bibliometric Analysis.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · January 2023 BACKGROUND: Research serves to bolster clinical neurosurgery by critically assessing various disease pathologies, while identifying important challenges and opportunities. However, there is limited information on the landscape of the Ghanaian neurosurgical ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Scope, Growth, and Inequities of the Global Neurosurgery Literature: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · November 2022 BACKGROUND: Here, we evaluate the evolution and growth of global neurosurgery publications over time, further focusing on the contributions and impact of authors in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS: In this systematic bibliometric analysis ... Full text Link to item Cite

Assessing the Success and Sustainability of Global Neurosurgery Collaborations: Systematic Review and Adaptation of the Framework for Assessment of InteRNational Surgical Success Criteria.

Journal Article World Neurosurg · November 2022 BACKGROUND: The high unmet neurosurgical burden in low- and middle-income countries has necessitated multiple global neurosurgical collaborations. We identified these collaborations and their peer-reviewed journal publications and evaluated them using a mo ... Full text Link to item Cite

Scalp Plexiform Neurofibrosarcoma With Intrathoracic Fibrosarcoma: A Case Report.

Journal Article Cureus · August 2022 Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is the most common form of neurofibromatosis. It is associated with neurofibromas, gliomas, neurofibrosarcomas, and neuroendocrine and hematopoietic tumors. We present a case of scalp plexiform neurofibromatosis associated wi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Current and Future Applications of the Kambin's Triangle in Lumbar Spine Surgery.

Journal Article Cureus · June 2022 Kambin's triangle has become the anatomical location of choice when accessing the lumbar spine to treat degenerative spinal disorders. Currently, lumbar interbody fusion is the most common procedure utilizing this space; however, with the advent of the Kam ... Full text Link to item Cite

Development of an Interactive Global Surgery Course for Interdisciplinary Learners.

Journal Article Ann Glob Health · March 31, 2021 INTRODUCTION: Global surgical care is increasingly recognized in the global health agenda and requires multidisciplinary engagement. Despite high interest among medical students, residents and other learners, many surgical faculty and health experts remain ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Global Perspectives on Task Shifting and Task Sharing in Neurosurgery.

Conference World Neurosurg X · April 2020 BACKGROUND: Neurosurgical task shifting and task sharing (TS/S), delegating clinical care to non-neurosurgeons, is ongoing in many hospital systems in which neurosurgeons are scarce. Although TS/S can increase access to treatment, it remains highly controv ... Full text Link to item Cite

Task-Shifting and Task-Sharing in Neurosurgery: An International Survey of Current Practices in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Conference World Neurosurg X · April 2020 BACKGROUND: Because nearly 23,000 more neurosurgeons are needed globally to address 5 million essential neurosurgical cases that go untreated each year, there is an increasing interest in task-shifting and task-sharing (TS/S), delegating neurosurgical task ... Full text Link to item Cite

Clinical outcome of closed reduction of cervical spine injuries in a cohort of Nigerians.

Journal Article Spinal Cord Ser Cases · 2019 STUDY DESIGN: A prospective observational study. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of closed reduction of cervical spine injuries (CSIs) using cervical traction and identify probable complications. SETTING: Department of Neurological Surgery, Unive ... Full text Link to item Cite

THE PROFILE AND SURGICAL TREATMENT OF SYRINGOMYELIA IN NIGERIAN PATIENTS.

Journal Article J West Afr Coll Surg · 2018 BACKGROUND: Syringomyelia is an often progressive disorder of the spinal cord. There is a dearth of reports in the African population. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study describes the profile and the outcome of treatment in our population of patients. DESIGN ... Link to item Cite

Outcome of surgery for upper cervical spine injuries in Nigerians.

Journal Article Niger Postgrad Med J · March 2014 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: . This is a review of the initial experience with surgical management of upper cervical spine injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical case notes of patients surgically managed for UCSI were analysed for aetiology, presentation, d ... Link to item Cite

Histology of orchidectomy specimens in Nigerian patients with prostrate cancer

Journal Article Infectious Agents and Cancer · December 2011 Full text Cite

Childhood burns in south eastern Nigeria.

Journal Article Afr J Paediatr Surg · 2009 BACKGROUND: Burns injuries are recognized as a major health problem worldwide. In children and, particularly, in our environment where poverty, ignorance and disease are still high, they constitute significant morbidity and mortality. Previous studies on t ... Full text Link to item Cite