Follow-Up Study of Large Decompressive Craniectomy for Severe Head Injury

In the last several years, we have been advocating, unilateral or bilateral, large decompressive craniectomy for severe cerebral contusion with or without concomitant intracranial hematoma or cerebral laceration. And on several occasions we have reported the results to be far more encouraging as compared with the previous methods of managements. Up to the present, 126 cases were submitted to such operations, statistic analysis was made with these cases about their pre-operative conditions and long-termed postoperative prognoses. The materials consist of 94 cases of adults and 32 of children and infants. The mortality rate was 26.5% among adults and 12.5% among children (average being 23%). In all the cases, unconsciousness was present, lasting 30 days in average, except in extreme two cases of unconsciousness being prolonged for over 5 1/2 years and 3 years respectively, and almost all cases showed hemiparesis, hemiplegia and/or decerebrate rigidity, unilaterally or bilaterally. Tracheostomy was performed in over 70% of the cases.