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A Craniotomy Surgery Procedure for Chronic Brain Imaging
Published on: February 15, 2008
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Outpatient brain tumor craniotomy under general anesthesia
Karolyn Au1, Suparna Bharadwaj2, Lashmi Venkatraghavan2
1Division of Neurosurgery, and.
Journal of Neurosurgery
|March 5, 2016
Summary
Outpatient craniotomy under general anesthesia is safe and effective for tumor resection. Most patients discharged from the day surgery unit (DSU) experienced fewer complications, demonstrating the feasibility of this approach.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Surgical Oncology
- Anesthesiology
Background:
- Outpatient craniotomy offers significant benefits for patient well-being and healthcare systems.
- Widespread adoption is hindered by the perception that it's only suitable for conscious sedation cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the discharge rate from the day surgery unit (DSU) after craniotomy for tumor resection under general anesthesia.
- To identify postoperative complications and assess patient selection for outpatient craniotomy.
Main Methods:
- Prospective consideration for outpatient management of patients undergoing elective craniotomy for supratentorial tumors (Jan 2010 - Jun 2014).
- Retrospective chart review analyzing cases by intention to treat.
- Analysis of discharge rates, readmissions, and postoperative complications.
Main Results:
- Of 141 craniotomies under general anesthesia, 44 initiated the day surgery protocol, with 38 (86%) successfully completing it.
- Only 5 patients required DSU admission, and 1 was readmitted within 24 hours.
- The outpatient group experienced fewer in-hospital complications, with no adverse outcomes linked to early discharge.
Conclusions:
- General anesthesia does not preclude outpatient craniotomy for tumor resection.
- Close postoperative clinical and imaging surveillance enables safe early discharge.
