A craniotomy is a surgical procedure where a piece of calvarial bone is removed to allow intracranial exposure. The bone flap is replaced at the end of the procedure, usually secured with microplates and screws. If the bone flap is not replaced it is either a craniectomy (bone removed) or cranioplasty (non-osseous surgical repair).
Classification
There are different craniotomy approaches depending on which part of the intracranial cavity needs to be accessed 1:
frontal
bifrontal
parietal
occipital
subtemporal
anterior parasagittal
posterior parasagittal
medial suboccipital
lateral suboccipital
Complications
infection including bone flap osteomyelitis, subdural empyema and cerebral abscess
-
hemorrhage
intracranial hemorrhage including remote cerebellar hemorrhage
scalp/subcutaneous hematomas
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