Complications in Endovascular Neurosurgery: Critical Analysis and Classification

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Medical Quality Improvement
• Endovascular Interventions

Background:

• Endovascular neurosurgery lacks standardized complication definitions, hindering quality assessment.
• Complications in endovascular interventions do not always negatively impact outcomes.
• Precise definitions are crucial for critical review and quality improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish precise definitions for quality evaluation in endovascular neurosurgery.
• To propose an endovascular-specific classification system for complications.

Main Methods:

• Single-center review of endovascular interventions from September 2013 to August 2015.
• Analysis of complication types and calculation of incidence.
• Development of a classification system based on patient data.

Main Results:

• 275 interventions were performed in 245 patients; 40 complications occurred in 39 patients (15%).
• Complications included mechanical (8/40), technical (11/40), judgment errors (9/40), and critical events (12/40).
• Only 30% of complications resulted in significant adverse outcomes.

Conclusions:

• A proposed endovascular-specific classification system includes mechanical, technical, judgment errors, and critical events.
• This system provides a framework for future research and quality control in endovascular neurosurgery.