Craniectomy
Updates to Article Attributes
Body
was changed:
A craniectomy is a common neurosurgical procedure in which a portion of the skull is resected, but not put back (cf. craniotomy in which the bone flap is re-attached to the surgical defect) 1. The defect is usually covered over with a skin flap. If the defect is closed by a prosthetic covering then it is known as a cranioplasty.
Indications
Craniectomies are frequently performed to decompress the intracranial contents in patients with elevated intracranial pressures 2-4, in which case they might be termed a decompressive craniectomy.
In particular, a craniectomy is often favoured in those requiring posterior fossa surgery to avoid problems of post-operative swelling in this region.
- elevated intracranial pressure
- acute trauma
-
infarctionsinfarction - intracranial haemorrhage
- cranial access for tumour resection
- resection of infected bone flaps following previous craniotomy
- resection of calvarial bone infiltrated by tumour
Complications
Non-specific
- infections of the surgical site
- subdural and subgaleal hygromas
Craniectomy-specific
- extracranial herniation
- external brain tamponade (rare)
- paradoxical herniation
- trephine (sinking skin flap) syndrome
-<p>A <strong>craniectomy</strong> is a common neurosurgical procedure in which a portion of the skull is resected, but not put back (cf. <a href="/articles/craniotomy">craniotomy</a> in which the bone flap is re-attached to the surgical defect) <sup>1</sup>. The defect is usually covered over with a skin flap. If the defect is closed by a prosthetic covering then it is known as a <a href="/articles/cranioplasty">cranioplasty</a>.</p><h4>Indications</h4><p>Craniectomies are frequently performed to decompress the intracranial contents in patients with <a href="/articles/raised-intracranial-pressure">elevated intracranial pressures</a> <sup>2-4</sup>, in which case they might be termed a decompressive craniectomy.</p><p>In particular a craniectomy is often favoured in those requiring posterior fossa surgery to avoid problems of post-operative swelling in this region.</p><ul>- +<p>A <strong>craniectomy</strong> is a common neurosurgical procedure in which a portion of the skull is resected, but not put back (cf. <a href="/articles/craniotomy">craniotomy</a> in which the bone flap is re-attached to the surgical defect) <sup>1</sup>. The defect is usually covered over with a skin flap. If the defect is closed by a prosthetic covering then it is known as a <a href="/articles/cranioplasty">cranioplasty</a>.</p><h4>Indications</h4><p>Craniectomies are frequently performed to decompress the intracranial contents in patients with <a href="/articles/raised-intracranial-pressure">elevated intracranial pressures</a> <sup>2-4</sup>, in which case they might be termed a decompressive craniectomy.</p><p>In particular, a craniectomy is often favoured in those requiring posterior fossa surgery to avoid problems of post-operative swelling in this region.</p><ul>
-<li>infarctions</li>- +<li>infarction</li>