Microsurgical Cisternostomy for Treating Critical Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury - An alternative Therapeutic Approach
Arq. bras. neurocir; 39 (3), 2020
Publication year: 2020
Introduction Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of mortality around the world.
Few advances regarding surgical approaches have been made in the past few years to
improve its outcomes. Microsurgical cisternostomy is a well-established technique used in
vascular and skull base surgery and recently emerges as a suitable procedure with lesser
costs and morbidity when compared with decompressive craniectomy in patients with
diffuse TBI. This study aims to describe the technique, indications, and limitations of
cisternostomy and to compare it with decompressive craniectomy (DC).
Methods A prospective study is being conducted after obtaining approval of the local
human ethics research committee. Once the inclusion and exclusion criteria are
applied, the patients are submitted to microsurgical cisternostomy, pre and postoperative
neurological status and brain computed tomography (CT) evaluation. A detailed
review was also performed, which discusses diffuse TBI, DC, and cisternostomy for the
treatment of TBI.
Results Two patients were submitted to cisternostomy after TBI and the presence of
acute subdural hematoma and hugemidline shift at admission computed tomography.
The surgery was authorized by the family (the informed consent form was signed). Both
patients evolved with a good recovery after the procedure, and had a satisfactory
control brain CT. No further surgeries were required after the initial cisternostomy.
Conclusions Cisternostomy is an adequate technique for the treatment of selected
patients affected by diffuse TBI, and it is a proper alternative to DC with lesser costs and
morbidity, since a single neurosurgical procedure is performed. A prospective study is
being conducted for a better evaluation and these were the initial cases of this new
protocol.