The Role of Decompressive Craniectomy in Traumatic Cerebral Contusions; A Prospective Observational Study

Background: To investigate the role of decompressive craniectomy in traumatic cerebral contusions in terms of factors affecting outcome and the various surgical strategies which can be taken into consideration for contusion resection and cerebral decompression.Material and Methods: The study was conducted from July 2013 to June 2014 at Department of Neurological Surgery Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar. A total of 35 patients were enrolled. The criteria included patients with traumatic cerebral contusion(s) who were eligible to undergo surgical decompression. The surgical procedures for intervention were classified according to the individual patient needs. Demographic data, inclu-sion parameters, surgical procedures, post-operative outcome and complications were recorded and analysed.Results: Thirty five patients were included with a mean age of 37.8 ± 13.8 years, 23 (65.7%) males and 12 (34.3%) females. The median Glasgow coma score at arrival was 8 ± 2.4, median Glasgow comma score at discharge was 9 ± 5. The median Glasgow outcome score at 3 months was 4 ± 1.6 and a mean total hospital stay of 10.9 ± 8.1 days.Conclusion: Cerebral contusions comprise one of the most serious kind of traumatic brain insult with long term physical, mental and economic sequelae while imparting a heavy load of hospital inpatient mortality and mor-bidity