Early Postoperative Perils of Intraventricular Tumors: An Observational Comparative Study

Early postoperative patient surveillance after removal of intraventricular tumors is often hindered by delayed awakening and prolonged somnolence. The objective of this study was to analyze the incidence of early critical postoperative events after elective craniotomy for intraventricular tumors in adults compared with extraventricular lesions.

An observational comparative study was conducted on adult patients who had undergone first-time elective craniotomy between November 2011 and August 2016. Patients were stratified into extraventricular lesions (group 1) and intraventricular tumors (group 2). The rates of late extubation, early postoperative seizures, emergency head computed tomography (CT) scans, and urgent surgical intervention within 48 hours and mortality within 30 days of surgery were analyzed from a prospective database.

A total of 977 elective craniotomies were analyzed, including 951 (97.3%) in group 1 and 26 (2.7%) in group 2. Emergency CT scans were ordered significantly more frequently in group 2 (34.6% vs. 8.4%; odds ratio, 5.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.49-13.35; P = 0.0002), and the incidence of urgent surgical intervention was significantly higher in group 2 (11.5% vs. 0.8%; odds ratio, 15.38; 95% CI, 3.83-61.72; P = 0.002). The main reason for urgent surgical intervention in group 2 was acute obstructive hydrocephalus. Overall surgical mortality after 30 days was 0.3% (3 cases in group 1, no cases in group 2).

Intraventricular tumors are at significantly higher risk for early emergency head CT and urgent surgical intervention. This patient cohort might benefit from routine intraoperative and early postoperative imaging, as well as intraoperative extraventricular drain placement.