Surgical Modality as a Determinant of Survival and Neurological Outcome Following the Evacuation of Acute Subdural Hematomas

Objective: We designed the present study to compare the clinical outcomes of the craniotomy and the decompressive craniectomy procedures that we had performed in our department for evacuating traumatic acute subdural hematomas. Material and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical data of all the adult patients in whom a craniotomy or a decompressive craniectomy had been performed for evacuating acute traumatic subdural hematoma. The demographic data, the preoperative Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and the clinical outcome were studied. Results: A craniotomy had been carried out in five patients for traumatic AcSDH evacuation while in twelve patients a decompressive craniectomy had been performed. The mean preoperative GCS was 9 in the patients that underwent a craniotomy, whereas the mean preoperative GCS in the decompressive craniectomy group was 6.8. The overall mortality was 47%. In the craniotomy group, 4 (80%) patients survived and 1 (20%) patient expired. In the decompressive craniectomy group, 5 (41.7%) patients survived and 7 (58.3%) patients expired. The outcome in all the 9 surviving patients was favorable based on the Glasgow Outcome scale and all of them were independent of follow-up. Conclusion: Better clinical outcome was observed in patients who had undergone a craniotomy compared to those in whom a decompressive craniectomy had been performed. Patients that underwent a craniotomy were also in a better clinical status preoperatively compared to patients who underwent a decompressive craniectomy.