Role of Decompressive Craniectomy/ Hemicraniectomy in the Management of Traumatic Brain Injury: A Retrospective Study

Introduction: Head injury is one of the most common outcomes of any kind of trauma becoming the major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The critical element in the treatment of patients with severe head injuries is to prevent the progression of the condition and secondary insult to brain cells. Various protocols are followed for the treatment of severe head injury starting from conservative medical management to surgical approaches like DC/hemicraniectomy (DC). The DC is a surgical method of removal of part of skull bone so that the brain parenchyma gets space to expand and the Intracranial Pressure (ICP) can get reduced. There are various factors that contribute to the outcome of DC. Aim: To determine the various factors that affect the outcome of DC/hemicraniectomy. Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted in the Institute of Gandhi Medical College and associated Hamidia hospital, Madhya Pradesh, India from May 2017 to April 2021. Hundred patients with moderate to severe head injury who underwent primary DC were included in this study. The variables such as age, preoperative GCS, the timing of surgery, preoperative pupillary reaction, and MidLine Shift (MLS) were compared in terms of survival/death and favourable/ unfavourable outcomes using the chi-square test. Results: The mean age of participants was 45±14 years. Statistical analysis showed significant results for the variables like age, preoperative the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), timing of the surgery, pupillary reaction at presentation, and preoperative MLS in terms of survival/death and favourable/ unfavourable outcomes. Conclusion: Younger age group, better preoperative GCS, early surgery, reactive pupils at presentation, and less preoperative MLS have positive outcome benefits with the DC/ hemicraniectomy to reduce the raised ICP.