Safety and Efficacy of Preoperative Embolization in Giant Intracranial Meningiomas Compared with Resection Surgery Alone

Abstract

Background: Endovascular embolization of intracranial meningiomas is commonly performed as an adjunct to surgical resection and may reduce intraoperative blood loss and surgical time. However, it remains unclear whether preoperative embolization improves the surgical outcomes of meningioma patients. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of preoperative embolization in patients with giant intracranial meningiomas. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients diagnosed with cranial meningiomas who underwent surgical treatment. The population group was subdivided into 2 categories: Surgery alone and preoperative meningioma embolization. Outcome variables included the degree of devascularization, intraprocedural complications, intraoperative complications, intraoperative blood loss, surgical time, postoperative complications, and the necessity of blood transfusions. Results: In this study, a total of 189 patients with meningiomas were enrolled. Among them, 22 patients underwent preoperative tumor embolization. The tumor volume was significantly larger in the combined treatment group compared to the surgery-alone group (P = 0.002). Additionally, there was a significant difference in tumor location between the groups (P < 0.001), with more meningiomas being situated deeper in the combined group. In the subgroup analysis of giant meningiomas, intraoperative blood loss was significantly lower in embolized patients compared to non-embolized patients (P = 0.034), while no difference in surgical time was observed (P = 0.570). Conclusions: Preoperative embolization in appropriately selected patients with giant intracranial meningiomas, especially those in deeper locations, was safe and feasible, showing a substantial degree of tumor devascularization with an acceptably low rate of complications. This may have had a positive effect on intraoperative blood loss and the duration of surgery.