Complications of decompressive craniectomy for head injury

There is much interest in the use of decompressive craniectomy for intracranial hypertension. Whilst technically straightforward, the procedure is not without significant complications. A retrospective analysis was undertaken of 41 patients who had had a decompressive craniectomy for severe head injury in the years 2006 and 2007 at the two major hospitals in Western Australia, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Royal Perth Hospital. Complications attributable to the decompressive surgery were: herniation of the cortex through the bone defect, 18 patients (51%); subdural effusion, 22 patients (62%); seizures, five patients (14%) and hydrocephalus, four patients (11%). Complications attributable to the subsequent cranioplasty were: infection, four patients (11%) and bone flap resorption, six patients (17%). Syndrome of the trephined occurred in three (7%) of those patients whose bone flap had significantly resorbed. Two deaths (5.5%) occurred as a direct complication of the craniectomy or cranioplasty procedure. I attempted to define what may be regarded as a complication of the decompressive procedure rather than what may be a consequence of the primary pathological process of traumatic brain injury.