Decompressive Hemicraniectomy for Malignant Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke: South Asian Experience

Background The randomized trials showed improved outcome and reduced mortality in malignant middle cerebral artery (MMCA) undergoing Decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) within 48 hours of stroke onset. Despite high prevalence of stroke, especially in younger individuals, high and short-term mortality from stroke in South Asian and Middle East, there is little published data on DHC in patients with MMCA stroke. Methods This is a retrospective, multicenter cross-sectional study to measure outcome following DHC using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and dichotomized as favorable (mRS ≤ 4) or unfavorable (mRS > 4), at 3 months. Results In total, 137 patients underwent DHC. At 90 days, mortality was 16.8%; 61.3% of patients survived with an mRS of 4 or less and 38.7% had an mRS greater than 4. Age (55 years), diabetes ( P = .004), hypertension ( P = .021), pupillary abnormality ( P = .048), uncal herniation ( P = .007), temporal lobe involvement ( P = .016), additional infarction (MCA + anterior cerebral artery, posterior cerebral artery) ( P = .001), and infarction growth rates ( P = .025) were significantly higher in patients with unfavorable prognosis in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis showed age, additional infarction, septum pellucidum deviation greater than 1 cm, and uncal herniation to be associated with a significantly poor prognosis. Time to surgery had no impact on outcome ( P = .109). Conclusions Similar to the results of the studies from the West, DHC Improves functional outcome in predominantly South Asian patients with MMCA Stroke.