Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is an effective method of controlling rising intracranial pressure (ICP) refractory to medical treatment in a range of conditions: traumatic brain injury in both adults and children, malignant middle cerebral artery infarction and following subarachnoid haemorrhage. Herein, we describe its indications, prognosis, current operative methods and postoperative management.

Keywords

decompressive craniectomy raised intracranial pressure traumatic brain injury stroke subarachnoid haemorrhage

References

Hutchinson

Corteen

Czosnyka

. Decompressive craniectomy in traumatic brain injury: the randomized multicenter RESCUEicp study (www.RESCUEicp.com). Acta Neurochir Suppl 2006;96: 17–20.

Cooper

Rosenfeld

Murray

. Decompressive craniectomy in diffuse traumatic brain injury. N Engl J Med 2011;364: 1493–502.

Vahedi

Vicaut

Mateo

. Sequential-design, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of early decompressive craniectomy in malignant middle cerebral artery infarction (DECIMAL Trial). Stroke 2007;38: 2506–17.

Hofmeijer

Amelink

Algra

. Hemicraniectomy after middle cerebral artery infarction with life-threatening Edema trial (HAMLET). Protocol for a randomised controlled trial of decompressive surgery in space-occupying hemispheric infarction. Trials 2006;7: 29.

Vahedi

Hofmeijer

Juettler

. Early decompressive surgery in malignant infarction of the middle cerebral artery: a pooled analysis of three randomised controlled trials. Lancet Neurol 2007;6: 215–22.

Sahuquillo

Arikan

. Decompressive craniectomy for the treatment of refractory high intracranial pressure in traumatic brain injury. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2006(1):CD003983.

Wilberger

Harris

Diamond

. Acute subdural hematoma: morbidity, mortality, and operative timing. J Neurosurg 1991;74: 212–18.

Seelig

Becker

Miller

. Traumatic acute subdural hematoma: major mortality reduction in comatose patients treated within four hours. N Engl J Med 1981;304: 1511–18.

Mendelow

Karmi

Paul

. Extradural haematoma: effect of delayed treatment. Br Med J 1979;1: 1240–42.

10.

Compagnone

Murray

Teasdale

. The management of patients with intradural post-traumatic mass lesions: a multicenter survey of current approaches to surgical management in 729 patients coordinated by the European Brain Injury Consortium. Neurosurgery 2005;57: 1183–92; discussion -92.

11.

Bratton

Chestnut

Ghajar

. Guidelines for the management of severe traumatic brain injury. VIII. Intracranial pressure thresholds. J Neurotrauma 2007;24 Suppl 1:S55–58.

12.

Clifton

Miller

Choi

. Lack of effect of induction of hypothermia after acute brain injury. N Engl J Med 2001;344: 556–63.

13.

Roberts

. Barbiturates for acute traumatic brain injury. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2000(2):CD000033.

14.

Grande

. The “Lund Concept” for the treatment of severe head trauma—physiological principles and clinical application. Intensive Care Med 2006;32: 1475–84.

15.

Hacke

Schwab

Horn

. ‘Malignant’ middle cerebral artery territory infarction: clinical course and prognostic signs. Arch Neurol 1996;53: 309–15.

16.

Berrouschot

Sterker

Bettin

. Mortality of space-occupying (‘malignant’) middle cerebral artery infarction under conservative intensive care. Intensive Care Med 1998;24: 620–23.

17.

Hofmeijer

van der Worp

Kappelle

. Treatment of space-occupying cerebral infarction. Crit Care Med 2003;31: 617–25.

18.

Hofmeijer

Kappelle

Algra

. Surgical decompression for space-occupying cerebral infarction (the Hemicraniectomy After Middle Cerebral Artery infarction with Life-threatening Edema Trial [HAMLET]): a multicentre, open, randomised trial. Lancet Neurol 2009;8: 326–33.

19.

Bailes

Spetzler

Hadley

Baldwin

. Management morbidity and mortality of poor-grade aneurysm patients. J Neurosurg 1990;72: 559–66.

20.

Buschmann

Yonekawa

Fortunati

. Decompressive hemicraniectomy in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage and intractable intracranial hypertension. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2007;149: 59–65.

21.

D'Ambrosio

Sughrue

. Decompressive hemicraniectomy for poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients with associated intracerebral hemorrhage: clinical outcome and quality of life assessment. Neurosurgery 2005;56: 12–9; dicussion 9-20.

22.

Schirmer

Hoit

Malek

. Decompressive hemicraniectomy for the treatment of intractable intracranial hypertension after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Stroke 2007;38: 987–92.

23.

Dorfer

Frick

Knosp

Gruber

. Decompressive hemicraniectomy after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. World Neurosurg 2010;74: 465–71.

24.

Jaeger

Soehle

Meixensberger

. Effects of decompressive craniectomy on brain tissue oxygen in patients with intracranial hypertension. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2003;74: 513–15.

25.

Pluta

Hansen-Schwartz

Dreier

. Cerebral vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage: time for a new world of thought. Neurol Res 2009;31: 151–8.

26.

Gower

Lee

McWhorter

. Role of subtemporal decompression in severe closed head injury. Neurosurgery 1988;23: 417–22.

27.

Clark

Nash

Hutchison

. The failure of circumferential craniotomy in acute traumatic cerebral swelling. J Neurosurg 1968;29: 367–71.

28.

Jiang

. Efficacy of standard trauma craniectomy for refractory intracranial hypertension with severe traumatic brain injury: a multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled study. J Neurotrauma 2005;22: 623–28.

29.

Coplin

Cullen

Policherla

. Safety and feasibility of craniectomy with duraplasty as the initial surgical intervention for severe traumatic brain injury. J Trauma 2001;50: 1050–59.

30.

Gooch

Gin

Kenning

German

. Complications of cranioplasty following decompressive craniectomy: analysis of 62 cases. Neurosurg Focus 2009;26: E9.

31.

Cheng

Weng

Yang

. Factors affecting graft infection after cranioplasty. J Clin Neurosci 2008;15: 1115–19.

32.

Matsuno

Tanaka

Iwamuro

. Analyses of the factors influencing bone graft infection after delayed cranioplasty. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2006;148: 535–40; discussion 40.

33.

Rish

Dillon

Meirowsky

. Cranioplasty: a review of 1030 cases of penetrating head injury. Neurosurgery 1979;4: 381–85.

34.

Liang

Xiaofeng

Weiguo

. Cranioplasty of large cranial defect at an early stage after decompressive craniectomy performed for severe head trauma. J Craniofac Surg 2007;18: 526–32.

35.

Beauchamp

Kashuk

Moore

. Cranioplasty after postinjury decompressive craniectomy: is timing of the essence? J Trauma 2010;69: 270–74.

36.

Chun

. Efficacy and safety of early cranioplasty, at least within one month. J Craniofac Surg 2011;22: 203–07.

37.

Maekawa

Awaya

Teramoto

. [Cerebral blood flow (CBF) before and after cranioplasty performed during the chronic stage after decompressive craniectomy evaluated by xenon-enhanced computerized tomography (Xe-CT) CBF scanning]. No Shinkei Geka 1999;27: 717–22.

38.

Flint

Manley

Gean

. Post-operative expansion of hemorrhagic contusions after unilateral decompressive hemicraniectomy in severe traumatic brain injury. J Neurotrauma 2008;25: 503–12.

39.

Yang

Wen

Shen

. Surgical complications secondary to decompressive craniectomy in patients with a head injury: a series of 108 consecutive cases. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2008;150: 1241–47; discussion 48.

40.

Lee

Chen

. Contralateral acute epidural hematoma after decompressive surgery of acute subdural hematoma: clinical features and outcome. J Trauma 2008;65: 1298–302.

41.

Stiver

. Complications of decompressive craniectomy for traumatic brain injury. Neurosurg Focus 2009;26: E7.

42.

Honeybul

. Complications of decompressive craniectomy for head injury. J Clin Neurosci 2010;17: 430–35.

Decompressive Craniectomy in Acute Brain Injury – Lifting the lid on Neurosurgical Practice

Abstract

Keywords

References