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Published on: August 11, 2015
Poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage: is surgical clipping worthwhile?
Sunil K Gupta1, Rajesh K Ghanta, Rajesh Chhabra
1Department of Neurosurgery, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India. drguptasunil@gmail.com
Insights
Early surgical clipping for poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) significantly improves long-term outcomes. This aggressive approach reduces rebleeding and vasospasm, offering a better chance of survival and recovery for critically ill patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Neurology
- Critical Care Medicine
Background:
- Management of poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) presents significant challenges with variable institutional protocols.
- Hunt and Hess (H and H) Grade IV and V patients represent a particularly difficult subset requiring specialized care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of an aggressive surgical clipping protocol for patients with poor-grade aneurysmal SAH.
- To assess the impact of early intervention on mortality and long-term functional outcomes in this patient cohort.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective review of patients undergoing aneurysmal clipping for poor-grade SAH (H and H Grade IV and V).
- Surgical intervention was performed after hemodynamic and metabolic stabilization.
- Patient outcomes were categorized as favorable, unfavorable, or dead.
Main Results:
- Out of 1196 patients, 165 (13.8%) had poor-grade SAH (99 Grade IV, 66 Grade V).
- Over half (58%) underwent surgery within 24 hours of admission.
- Overall mortality was 50.9%, with 72% of survivors achieving a favorable long-term outcome.
Conclusions:
- An aggressive strategy of early clipping for poor-grade aneurysmal SAH reduces rebleeding and allows for more effective vasospasm management.
- This protocol significantly improves survival rates in patients who might otherwise have succumbed to their condition.
- Long-term follow-up demonstrates substantial functional improvement in surviving patients post-discharge.
Background:
Management of patients with poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is difficult and the protocols followed differ from center to center.
Material And Methods:
In this report, we present our experience with aneurysmal clipping in patients with poor-grade SAH. Patients with poor Hunt and Hess (H and H) grade (Grade IV and Grade V) were offered surgery after stabilization of their hemodynamic and metabolic parameters. The status was recorded as favorable (good recovery, mild to moderate disability but independent), unfavorable (severe disability, vegetative) and dead.
Results:
Out of a total of 1196 patients who underwent aneurysmal clipping, 165(13.8%) were in poor grade. Of the 165 patients, 99 (60%) were in H and H Grade IV and 66 (40%) were in Grade V. More than half of the patients (58%) were operated within 24 h of admission. There was an overall mortality of 50.9%. In the long term, of the survivors who were followed up, about 72% achieved a favorable outcome.
Conclusions:
With an aggressive approach aimed at early clipping, the chances of rebleed are reduced and vasospasm can be managed more aggressively. This protocol resulted in survival in a significant proportion of patients who would have otherwise died. In the long-term follow-up, the surviving patients showed significant improvement from the status at discharge.
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