New Method to Restore Skull After Brain Surgery May Reduce Complications

A recent study conducted by Johns Hopkins University reports the development of a safer method to replace bone removed after brain surgery. The new technique appears to result in fewer complications than the standard restoration, which has changed little since its inception in the late 19th century. Patients who had a piece of skull removed to treat a swelling brain caused by brain injury, infection, tumor or stroke typically undergo a second operation a few months later to restore the protective covering. Traditionally, surgeons have completely peeled the scalp off the brain to then tuck the skull bone or custom implant back into place — a practice which puts the patient at risk of bleeding, seizure, stroke and deep infection. With the new approach, surgeons pull back only the top three layers of the five-layer scalp and sandwich the bone or implant in between. Researchers say this innovation not only prevents brain injury, but also reduces the risk of infection by providing access to blood supply in the scalp from both the top and bottom. Between July 2011, and June 2013, 50 patients were treated using this technique and only one patient developed a deep infection requiring bone removal. To read more about the results of this study, click here.