Neuro patties are a rayon sterile pledget used for hemostasis and soft tissue protection. They are x-ray detectable and have a locator string attached. They are soaked in saline prior to use. Neuro patties are not thrown away when soiled like larger type sponges. They are kept on the sterile field and discarded in a different location due to the fact that they must be accounted for at all times during and after the procedure. Counting Neuro patties after a procedure is a requirement and holds legal responsibility. The final count is recorded right away to prevent error and the person recording the count puts their initials by the numbers.

The whir of a drill, the faint smell of formaldehyde, and a flurry of figures in scrubs; this was the scene at the 2019 Complex Surgical Approaches to the Skull Base hands-on Cadaver Workshop that took place at Weill Cornell from December 12th to 14th ( https://skullbaseneurosurgery.org/courses/skullbase/ ). Physicians, surgeons, residents, and fellows circled up to be instructed by the world-renowned Dr. Antonio Bernardo, MD via a combination of cadaver dissections and 3-D virtual reality environment in the state-of-the-art Neurosurgical Innovations and Training Center.