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Updated: Dec 10, 2025
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Implementation of Minimally Invasive Brain Tumor Resection in Rodents for High Viability Tissue Collection
Published on: May 9, 2022
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Reducing the burden of brain tumor surgery
Mark Ter Laan1, Suzanne Roelofs2, Eddy M M Adang3
1Department of Neurosurgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Mark.terlaan@radboudumc.nl.
Acta Neurochirurgica
|September 2, 2020
Summary
Routine intensive care unit (ICU) or medium care unit (MCU) admission after brain tumor surgery is unnecessary. A new policy reduced ICU/MCU use, shortening hospital stays and cutting costs without increasing major complications.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Critical Care Medicine
- Health Economics
Background:
- Intensive care unit (ICU) or medium care unit (MCU) admission after adult supratentorial tumor craniotomy is common practice, despite questioned necessity.
- A "no ICU, unless" policy was implemented for these patients to evaluate its impact.
- This study challenges the routine post-operative ICU/MCU admission paradigm.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of a "no ICU, unless" policy on costs, complications, and length of stay for patients undergoing supratentorial tumor craniotomy.
- To determine if routine ICU/MCU admission is necessary for optimal patient recovery and outcomes.
- To assess the economic and clinical benefits of a revised post-operative care pathway.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study design was employed.
- Patient data from the year prior to the policy implementation were compared with data from the two years following its introduction.
- Outcomes measured included ICU/MCU admittance rates, length of stay, and complication rates (minor and major).
Main Results:
- ICU/MCU admittance decreased significantly from 88% to 23% of patients.
- A 13% reduction in overall costs was observed.
- The post-operative length of stay was reduced by an average of 1.4 days.
- Minor complications decreased, while major complications remained comparable to the previous practice.
Conclusions:
- Routine post-operative ICU/MCU admission after tumor craniotomy does not improve complication rates and may hinder patient recovery.
- Implementing a selective "no ICU, unless" policy leads to earlier patient discharge and significant cost savings.
- This paradigm shift optimizes resource utilization and enhances patient recovery pathways.
