Reasonability and efficacy of decompressive craniectomy in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage after microsurgical aneurysm exclusion

Abstract

The study purpose was to define the CT criteria for reasonability and efficacy of DC as well as clarification of the indications for preventive DC in patients with SAH after microsurgical aneurysm exclusion. The study included 46 patients who underwent microsurgical clipping of aneurysms and DC in the period between 2010 and 2016. All patients underwent surgery in the period of 1 to 12 days after SAH. Preventive DC (imultaneously with clipping of aneurysms) was performed in 38 patients. Secondary (delayed) DC was performed in 8 patients. Mortality in a group of all patients with DC was 15.2%. Preventive DC was considered as 'reasonable' when the patient had signs of cerebral edema in the postoperative period. The X-ray criteria of reasonable DC included a more than 5 mm brain prolapse into the trephination defect or a lateral dislocation of more than 5 mm. If the patient had no prolapse and dislocation in the postoperative period, DC was considered 'unreasonable'. Among patients with ICH in the postoperative period, including 20 patients with reasonable preventive DC and 8 patients with delayed DC, mortality was 25%. The CT signs of efficient DC were found to be a more than 5 mm brain prolapse into the trephination defect in combination with a decrease in the lateral dislocation less than 5 mm. All seven patients with inefficient DC in our group died. To clarify the indications for preventive DC, we analyzed various preoperative factors in patients with reasonable and unreasonable DC. In most cases, preventive DC in microsurgical aneurysm exclusion is indicated for patients in an extremely grave condition (Hunt-Hess Grade V), a lateral displacement of the mline structures of more than 5 mm, an intracranial hematoma of over 30 mL, and symptoms of acute cerebral ischemia (pronounced cerebral vasospasm and emerging ischemic foci).