Chronic subdural hematoma: Management, sequelae with its predictive factors, and health-related quality of life of survivors

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of the study is to identify the risk factors associated with chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) in the Pakistani population, to compare various surgical techniques commonly used in its management, and to analyze the outcomes of patients, including early, that is, at the time of discharge, and late, that is, the disability status of patients on follow-up after ≥6 weeks. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was carried out at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan between March 2023 and October 2023 and included 100 patients with CSDH. All patients underwent surgical procedures, and outcomes were assessed at six weeks. Results: The mean age of the patients diagnosed with CSDH in this study was 53.81 ± 11.54 years. The most commonly reported symptom was an altered level of consciousness (30%), but most patients presented with more than one symptom (50%). Mortality was associated with only 10% of cases, and 90% reported no complications or significant morbidity. The most commonly used surgical technique was two burr-hole drainage (67%). The risk of recurrence was increased with the presence of comorbidities (P = 0.001) and remarkably reduced with intraoperative subdural drain placement (P = 0.000). Conclusion: The choice of surgical technique had no influence on the length of stay in the hospital or functional status post-discharge but surgery with intraoperative subdural drain placement proved to yield definitive favorable outcomes.