NSPC Neurosurgeon William Sonstein Invited to Speak at International Medical Conference

(July 5, 2023 – Rockville Centre, NY) William J. Sonstein M.D., F.A.C.S., a senior attending neurosurgeon and the President of NSPC Brain & Spine Surgery is being invited to give an oral presentation about a new, point-of-care cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing strip at the 2023 scientific meeting of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) in Washington, D.C.

The annual CNS program is one of the most important medical conferences in the world. It draws an international audience of practicing neurosurgeons and other experienced providers who attend the five-day educational event to learn more about the latest neurosurgical innovations.

An expert in complex spinal surgery, Dr. Sonstein will discuss the development of a new inexpensive, rapid, point-of-care cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diagnostic testing strip which he helped to invent on Monday, September 11, 2023. The title of his presentation is, “A Hook Effect-based Lateral Flow Immunoassy Sensor for Cerebrospinal Leak Detection.”

It’s not uncommon for patients to exhibit a build-up of unknown fluids postoperatively, particularly after being treated for a lumbar spine condition. Since undiagnosed CSF leakage can lead to serious complications, including meningitis, abscess, and pneumocephalus, it is crucial to rule out the presence of a leak rapidly and noninvasively.

According to Dr. Sonstein, “a laboratory-based CSF test requires that a sample be sent out for analysis which can take days before results are returned. I knew there was a need for fast, in-hospital test that could be used as part of a daily, post-operative protocol to make sure patients were safe.” To address this, Dr. Sonstein assembled a team to manufacture a simple test strip that quickly indicates the presence of CSF without the need for outside testing or special training for the user. He hopes that other neurosurgeons, as well as orthopedic spine surgeons and emergency room surgeons will see the benefit in using this new diagnostic tool, too.