Background: Craniectomy in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) may be performed to manage intractable elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) or to avoid postoperative development of elevated ICP following craniotomy for a hemorrhagic mass lesion. Objective: To clarify the role of craniectomy performed during removal of hemorrhagic mass lesions in TBI. Design: Single-institution retrospective medi...

BACKGROUND The role of decompressive craniectomy in treating raised intracranial pressure (ICP) after traumatic brain injuries (TBI) is controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the differences in prognosis of patients initially treated by decompressive craniectomy, craniotomy, or conservatively. METHODS We conducted a single-center retrospective study on adult blunt TBI patients adm...

BACKGROUND Craniotomy patients have a high incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). This prospective, randomized, double-blind, multi-center study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of prophylactic ramosetron in preventing PONV compared with ondansetron after elective craniotomy in adult patients. METHODS A total of 160 American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I...

This review summarizes the added value of local anesthetics in patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumor resection, which is a procedure that is carried out frequently in neurosurgical practice. The procedure can be carried out under general anesthesia, sedation with local anesthesia or under local anesthesia only. Literature shows a large variation in the postoperative pain intensity rang...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This was a prospective audit to assess the incidence and characteristics of early postoperative complications in the recovery room in extubated patients after elective neurosurgical procedures using propofol and remifentanil-based total intravenous anaesthesia. METHODS Vital signs (temperature, conscious level, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, pulse and blood pre...

AIm: Hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage (HCH) is a potentially life-threatening cerebrovascular disease with high mortality. In case of a massive hematoma, surgical drainage is a crucial treatment. The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of the endoscopic-assisted keyhole technique in elderly patients with intracerebral hematoma who needed a flap craniotomy as traditional treatmen...

AIM To investigate the effect of gradient decompression on the occurrence of intraoperative hypotension and prognosis in traumatic brain injury. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed in 186 hospitalized patients from January, 2008 to January, 2012 in the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University. Demographic data, the abnormality of pupils, and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) b...

A frontotemporal craniotomy is usually performed using a "keyhole," made at the union of the zygomatic arch and frontal bone. Consequently, skull depression may occur postoperatively, leading to temporal area deformities and poor cosmetic results. To prevent these complications, we describe our technique for frontotemporal craniotomy using an osteotome to prevent cosmetic deformities. After the...

OBJECTIVE This study was performed to assess the postoperative pain of brain tumor patients who underwent elective craniotomy and to evaluate the factors associated with pain intensity. METHODS From January 2010 to December 2011, 47 patients with newly diagnosed brain tumors who underwent craniotomy were enrolled. The postoperative pain status was assessed daily until discharge using the visu...

The aim of the present study was to analyze the risk factors of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) of elective craniotomy for patients presenting with brainstem tumors or tumors adjacent to the brainstem. A total of 162 consecutive patients with a brainstem tumor or adjacent brainstem tumor undergoing elective craniotomy were included and monitored. Potential risk factors were identif...