Red Blood Cell Transfusions Following Resection of Skull Base Meningiomas: Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Hematology
• Oncology

Background:

• Skull base meningiomas are tumors requiring complex surgical resection.
• Postoperative red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is a common intervention in neurosurgery.
• Understanding transfusion risk factors and outcomes is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify risk factors for postoperative RBC transfusion in skull base meningioma patients.
• To investigate the clinical outcomes associated with RBC transfusion in this patient cohort.
• To determine if RBC transfusion independently impacts in-hospital complications, length of stay, or discharge disposition.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study at a single academic medical center.
• Comparison of patients with skull base meningiomas who received (transfusion group) versus did not receive (no transfusion group) packed RBCs within 7 days of surgery.
• Analysis of in-hospital complication rate, length of stay (LOS), and discharge disposition as main outcome measures.

Main Results:

• The skull base location was an independent risk factor for RBC transfusion (OR 3.89).
• Operative time exceeding 10 hours was an independent risk factor for prolonged hospital stay (OR 8.84).
• RBC transfusion did not independently impact LOS or discharge disposition when operative time was controlled.

Conclusions:

• The location of a meningioma at the skull base independently predicts the need for RBC transfusion.
• While operative time significantly influences hospital stay, RBC transfusion alone does not predict LOS or discharge disposition.
• Clinical outcomes in skull base meningioma surgery are multifactorial, with operative time being a key determinant beyond transfusion status.