[Decompressive craniotomy and its effect on recovery and rehabilitation of the patient]

The rehabilitation of patients who have to be operated on because of severe craniocerebral trauma and in whom the roof of the cranium must be removed because of severe post-traumatic cerebral oedema, is extremely difficult. The slow rehabilitation and recovery of these patients, who also show psychological changes in most cases, must be attributed to the pathological intracranial conditions which have arisen in consequence of large defects in cranial bones. A causal correlation between severe pathological intracranial conditions, which have arisen not only from trauma but also from bone flap decompressions, and protracted postoperative recovery and difficult rehabilitation has only recently been established. Our experience has shown that rapid rehabilitation of the injured person can only be expected after skullcap reconstruction and normalization of intracranial conditions.