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Complications of endoscopic neurosurgery
1Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock 72202, USA.
Summary
Neuroendoscopy is a safe neurosurgical technique with a 7% complication rate. While intraoperative issues decrease with experience, significant complications remain consistent, highlighting a steep learning curve.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
Background:
- Neuroendoscopy is increasingly utilized by neurosurgeons.
- Limited data exists on neuroendoscopy complications and its learning curve.
Observation:
- A review of 173 neuroendoscopic procedures was conducted.
- Complications were categorized into significant sequelae and intraoperative concerns.
- 11 patients (7%) experienced significant complications, and 22 procedures (13%) had intraoperative issues.
Findings:
- The incidence of insignificant complications decreased with surgical experience.
- Significant complication rates did not show a similar decrease with experience.
- Complications occurred across various neuroendoscopic procedures over two years.
Implications:
- Neuroendoscopy demonstrates a favorable safety profile with a 7% overall complication rate.
- A steep learning curve is associated with neuroendoscopy, requiring specific guidelines for safe implementation.
- Adherence to simple guidelines can enable broader adoption of neuroendoscopy by neurosurgeons.