[Prophylaxis of brain edema in neurosurgical operations]

Rational surgical approaches providing for preservation of the arteries and veins of the brain and minimal mechanical damage to it during the removal of tumors, the use of adequate anesthesia which prevents the development of vegetative reactions of central origin, and postoperative correction of the patients' condition under clinical and physiological control allow the development of cerebral edema to be prevented. Experience in the management of 1,447 patients with intracranial, mainly extracerebral, tumors showed that postoperative lethality can be reduced from 27.0 to 4.3%.