Decompressive craniectomy

Decompressive craniectomy (crani- + -ectomy) is a <a href="/facts/Neurosurgery/39HXY3tc">neurosurgical</a> procedure in which part of the <a href="/facts/Human_skull/A9Wp63Np">skull</a> is removed to allow a <a href="/facts/Encephalitis/auHEjvrD">swelling or herniating brain</a> room to expand without being squeezed. It is performed on victims of <a href="/facts/Traumatic_brain_injury/DTq110vw">traumatic brain injury</a>, <a href="/facts/Stroke/DwpjdzY0">stroke</a>, <a href="/facts/Chiari_malformation/9BKbwYzr">Chiari malformation</a>, and other conditions associated with raised <a href="/facts/Intracranial_pressure/GVyhAWpH">intracranial pressure</a>. Use of this surgery is controversial.
The procedure evolved from a primitive form of surgery known as <a href="/facts/Trepanning/q9PfraSC">trepanning</a>. The older procedure, while common in prehistoric times, was deprecated in favor of other, less invasive treatments as they were developed; although it was still performed with some frequency prior to the twentieth century, its <a href="/facts/Trepanning/q9PfraSC">resurgence in modern form</a> became possible only upon the development of precision cutting tools, <a href="/facts/Cranial_drill/13Rq0xCz">cranial drills</a>, and sophisticated post-operative care such as <a href="/facts/Antibiotics/sF1kIfxg">antibiotics</a>.

Decompressive craniectomy open-in-new

Decompressive craniectomy