Abstract Aim The meta-analysis explored the effectiveness of early and late decompressive craniectomies versus medical management in patients with refractory intracranial hypertension after sustaining traumatic brain injury. clinical outcomes analysed were grouped into 2 categories: favourable (good recovery moderate disability) unfavourable (death, vegetative state, severe disability). Intracr...

OBJECTIVE Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is a useful surgical method to achieve adequate decompression in hypertensive intracranial patients. This study suggested a new skin incision for DC, and analyzed its efficacy and safety. METHODS In the retrograde reviews, 15 patients underwent a newly suggested surgical approach using n-shape skin incision technique (Group A) and 23 patients were trea...

The original randomized, controlled clinical trials that established the efficacy of decompressive hemicraniectomy after space-occupying, malignant cerebral artery infarction were neither designed nor powered to evaluate the optimal timing of intervention. Because of the time frame used as enrollment criteria in these clinical trials, the initial pooled analysis was restricted to patients treat...

Second level therapeutic maneuvres for controlling intracranial hypertension (ICH) proposed by the European Brain Injury Consortium and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons include barbiturates, moderate hypothermia and more recently the decompressive craniectomy (DC).In most patients, ICP can be maintained below 25 mmHg after a DC. However, the exact effect of DC on brain oxygenat...