Functionally dependent status is an independent predictor for worse perioperative outcomes following craniotomy for...

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a medical emergency, and functional status is often a predictor of adverse outcomes perioperatively. Patients with different functional statuses may have different perioperative outcomes during surgery for aSAH. This study retrospectively examines the effect of functional status on specific perioperative outcomes in patients receiving craniotomy for aSAH.

Patients with aSAH who underwent neurosurgery were identified using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes (ICD10, I60; ICD9, 430) in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database from 2005 to 2021. Subjects were stratified into two study groups: functionally dependent and functionally independent, based on their documented functional status on NSQIP. Significant preoperative differences were present between groups so a multivariable regression was performed between functionally dependent and independent patients. The 30-day perioperative outcomes of the two groups were compared. Perioperative outcomes included death, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), cardiac complications, stroke, wound complications, renal complications, sepsis, clot formation, pulmonary complications, return to the operating room, operation time >4 h, length of stay longer than 7 days, discharge not to home, and bleeding.

For aSAH patients receiving craniotomy repair, functionally dependent patients had significantly greater rates of MACE, cardiac complications, sepsis, pulmonary complications, and discharge not to home compared to functionally independent patients.

This study shows specific perioperative variables influenced by dependent functional status when treating aSAH through craniotomy, thus leading to a more complicated postoperative course. Additional research is needed to confirm these findings among the specific variables that we analyzed.