COMPLICATIONS OF DECOMPRESSIVE CRANIECTOMY

Abstract

Decompressive craniectomy (DC) can be a life-preserving procedure, but it is not without risk. Some complications develop during the immediate postoperative period, while others characteristically occur remote from surgery. Overall, complications of the initial craniectomy, as well as the cranioplasty that routinely follows, occur in approximately 20% of patients undergoing DC [1]. This chapter provides a synopsis of the common complications that follow DC, as well as the expected incidence, time course, and possible interventions.