Treatment of chronic subdural hematomas with subdural evacuating port system placement in the intensive care unit: evolution of practice and comparison with bur hole evacuation in the operating room

Risk of Subdural Hematoma Expansion in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease: Continuous Venovenous Hemodialysis Versus Intermittent Hemodialysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Subdural hematoma (SDH) patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) require renal replacement therapy in addition to neurological management. We sought to determine whether continuous venovenous hemodialysis (CVVHD) or intermittent hemodialysis (iHD) is associated with higher rates of SDH re-expansion as well as morbidity and mortality.

METHODS

Hemodialysis-dependent patients with ESRD who were discovered to have an SDH were retrospectively identified from 2016 to 2022. Rates of SDH expansion during CVVHD vs iHD were compared. Hemodialysis mode was included in a multivariate logistic regression model to test for independent association with SDH expansion and mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 123 hemodialysis-dependent patients with ESRD were discovered to have a concomitant SDH during the period of study. Patients who received CVVHD were on average 10.2 years younger ( P < .001), more likely to have traumatic SDH (47.7% vs 19.0%, P < .001), and more likely to have cirrhosis (25.0% vs 10.1%, P = .029). SDH expansion affecting neurological function occurred more frequently during iHD compared with CVVHD (29.7% vs 12.0%, P = .013). Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that CVVHD was independently associated with decreased risk of SDH affecting neurological function (odds ratio 0.25, 95% CI 0.08-0.65). Among patients who experienced in-hospital mortality or were discharged to hospice, 5% suffered a neurologically devastating SDH expansion while on CVVHD compared with 35% on iHD.

CONCLUSION

CVVHD was independently associated with decreased risk of neurologically significant SDH expansion. Therefore, receiving renal replacement therapy through a course of CVVHD may increase SDH stability in patients with ESRD.

Automated Preoperative and Postoperative Volume Estimates Risk of Retreatment in Chronic Subdural Hematoma: A Retrospective, Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Several neurosurgical pathologies, ranging from glioblastoma to hemorrhagic stroke, use volume thresholds to guide treatment decisions. For chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH), with a risk of retreatment of 10%-30%, the relationship between preoperative and postoperative cSDH volume and retreatment is not well understood. We investigated the potential link between preoperative and postoperative cSDH volumes and retreatment.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective chart review of patients operated for unilateral cSDH from 4 level 1 trauma centers, February 2009-August 2021. We used a 3-dimensional deep learning, automated segmentation pipeline to calculate preoperative and postoperative cSDH volumes. To identify volume thresholds, we constructed a receiver operating curve with preoperative and postoperative volumes to predict cSDH retreatment rates and selected the threshold with the highest Youden index. Then, we developed a light gradient boosting machine to predict the risk of cSDH recurrence.

RESULTS

We identified 538 patients with unilateral cSDH, of whom 62 (12%) underwent surgical retreatment within 6 months of the index surgery. cSDH retreatment was associated with higher preoperative (122 vs 103 mL; P < .001) and postoperative (62 vs 35 mL; P < .001) volumes. Patients with >140 mL preoperative volume had nearly triple the risk of cSDH recurrence compared with those below 140 mL, while a postoperative volume >46 mL led to an increased risk for retreatment (22% vs 6%; P < .001). On multivariate modeling, our model had an area under the receiver operating curve of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.60-0.93) for predicting retreatment. The most important features were preoperative and postoperative volume, platelet count, and age.

CONCLUSION

Larger preoperative and postoperative cSDH volumes increase the risk of retreatment. Volume thresholds may allow identification of patients at high risk of cSDH retreatment who would benefit from adjunct treatments. Machine learning algorithm can quickly provide accurate estimates of preoperative and postoperative volumes.

Awake transradial middle meningeal artery embolization and twist drill craniostomy for chronic subdural hematomas in the elderly: case series and technical note

BACKGROUND

Due to prohibitive perioperative risk factors, optimal treatment for chronic subdural hematomas (cSDH) in the elderly remains unclear. Minimally invasive techniques are a viable option and include bedside subdural evacuation port system (SEPS), as well as prevention of recurrence with middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization. We present a case series of elderly patients undergoing combined transradial MMA embolization and bed-side craniostomy as primary treatment for cSDH.

METHODS

Patients 70 years and older from 2019 to 2020 that underwent single setting, awake transradial MMA embolization with concurrent SEPS placement under local anesthesia were included. Those with prior treatments, interventions performed under general anesthesia, or with less than 60-day follow-up were excluded. Descriptive analyses of baseline characteristics, radiologic parameters, comorbidities, and outcome measures were completed.

RESULTS

Twenty elderly patients (mean age of 81.0 years) with multiple comorbidities underwent 28 MMA embolization+SEPS procedures as primary treatment for cSDH. Mean cSDH thickness was 1.8cm±0.6 cm with 7.3±3.9 mm midline shift. All patients tolerated the procedure well. 1/20 (5.0%) patients died within 30 days of the procedure. A majority of patients were discharged to home (12/20; 60.0%). There was an average of 3.6-month follow-up and one patient (5.0%) developed recurrence in the follow-up period requiring further intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

In select elderly patients with high perioperative risk factors, primary treatment of cSDH using awake transradial MMA embolization+SEPS placement is a minimally invasive, feasible, and safe option. Further comparative studies are warranted to evaluate efficacy of the treatment.

Surgical techniques for evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma: a mini-review

Chronic subdural hematoma is one of the most common neurosurgical pathologies with over 160,000 cases in the United States and Europe each year. The current standard of care involves surgically evacuating the hematoma through a cranial opening, however, varied patient risk profiles, a significant recurrence rate, and increasing financial burden have sparked innovation in the field. This mini-review provides a brief overview of currently used evacuation techniques, including emerging adjuncts such as endoscopic assistance and middle meningeal artery embolization. This review synthesizes the body of available evidence on efficacy and risk profiles for each critical aspect of surgical technique in cSDH evacuation and provides insight into trends in the field and promising new technologies.

Subdural evacuating port system with subdural thrombolysis for the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma in patients older than 80 years

Objective

The subdural evacuating port system (SEPS) is a minimally invasive approach that can be performed under local anesthesia for the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). Subdural thrombolysis has been described as an exhaustive drainage strategy and found to be safe and effective for improving drainage. We aim to analyze the effectiveness of SEPS with subdural thrombolysis in patients older than 80 years.

Method

Consecutive patients aged ≥80 years old who presented with symptomatic CSDH and underwent SEPS followed by subdural thrombolysis between January 2014 and February 2021 were retrospectively studied. Outcome measures included complications, mortality, recurrence, and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at discharge and 3 months.

Results

In total, 52 patients with CSDH in 57 hemispheres were operated on, with a mean age of 83.9 ± 3.3 years, and 40 (76.9%) patients were men. The preexisting medical comorbidities were observed in 39 patients (75.0%). Postoperative complications occurred in nine patients (17.3%), with two having significant complications (3.8%). The complications observed included pneumonia (11.5%), acute epidural hematoma (3.8%), and ischemic stroke (3.8%). One patient experienced contralateral malignant middle cerebral artery infarction and died of subsequent severe herniation, contributing to a perioperative mortality rate of 1.9%. Discharge and 3 months of favorable outcomes (mRS score 0-3) were achieved in 86.5% and 92.3% of patients, respectively. CSDH recurrence was observed in five patients (9.6%), and repeat SEPS was performed.

Conclusion

As an exhaustive drainage strategy, SEPS followed by thrombolysis is safe and effective with excellent outcomes among elderly patients. It is a technically easy and less invasive procedure with similar complications, mortality, and recurrence rates compared with burr-hole drainage in the literature.

Subdural evacuation port system and middle meningeal artery embolization for chronic subdural hematoma: a multicenter experience

OBJECTIVE

Middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization and the Subdural Evacuation Port System (SEPS) are minimally invasive treatment paradigms for chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH). Although SEPS offers acute decompression of local mass effect from a cSDH, MMA embolization has been shown to reduce the rate of cSDH recurrence. In combination, these procedures present a potentially safer strategy to a challenging pathology. The authors present a multi-institutional retrospective case series that assessed the safety, efficacy, and complications of SEPS and MMA embolization for cSDH.

METHODS

A retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent SEPS placement and MMA embolization for cSDH between 2018 and 2021 at three institutions.

RESULTS

One hundred patients with 136 cSDHs and a median age of 73 years underwent both SEPS placement and MMA embolization. Initial Glasgow Coma Scale scores were between 14 and 15 in 81% of patients and between 9 and 13 in 14%. The median initial midline shift (MLS) was 7 mm, with subdural hematoma (SDH) in the left hemisphere (lh) in 30% of patients, right hemisphere (rh) in 34%, and bilateral hemispheres in 36%. Follow-up was available for 86 patients: 93.4% demonstrated decreased MLS, and all patients with lhSDH and rhSDH demonstrated progressive decrease in SDH size. The overall complication rate was 4%, including 1 case of facial palsy and 3 cases of iatrogenic acute SDH. Two subjects (2%) required craniotomy for hematoma evacuation. The rate of good functional outcomes, with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score < 2, was 89% on final follow-up and the overall mortality rate was 2%. A good mRS score on admission was associated with increased odds of functional improvement at follow-up (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

SEPS placement with MMA embolization for cSDH can be done safely and effectively reduces cSDH size with minimal perioperative morbidity.

Effect of Twist-Drill Craniostomy With Hollow Screws for Evacuation of Chronic Subdural Hematoma: A Meta-Analysis

Objective

This study systematically reviews the clinical efficacy and safety of twist-drill craniostomy with hollow screws in chronic subdural hematoma treatment.

Methods

A computerized search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, World Health Organization International Trial Registry platform, CBM, CNKI, and Wanfang Database was performed to retrieve randomized controlled trials or case-control trials using twist-drill craniostomy (TDC) with hollow screws for the evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma from the date of databases' inception to July 2021. Two investigators independently screened the studies and extracted data in strict accordance with pre-established inclusion and exclusion criteria. RevMan 5.3 software or STATA was used for meta-analysis after evaluating the methodological quality of the included studies.

Results

A total of 4 randomized controlled trials and 16 case-control trials with a total of 2,536 cases were included. Results of the meta-analysis showed that the surgical success rate and postoperative recurrence rate of TDC with hollow screws were slightly higher compared to the burr hole craniostomy (BHC) group, but showed no statistical significance (RR = 1.03, P = 0.05; RR = 1.13, P = 0.50). However, subgroup analysis showed that the use of YL-1 needle had a higher success rate and lower recurrence rate (RR = 1.05, P = 0.02 < 0.05; RR = 0.584, P = 0.002), and TDC with hollow screws had a lower incidence rate of postoperative complications and postoperative acute intracranial hemorrhage compared with BHC, also revealing an overall shorter hospital stay (RR = 0.57, P = 0.0002 < 0.05; RR = 0.584, P = 0.027 < 0.05; WMD = −3.752, P < 0.001). However, the postoperative mortality rate was practically the same between the two groups (OR = 1.01, P = 0.95 > 0.05).

Conclusion

Twist-drill craniostomy with hollow screws is not inferior or superior to BHC in efficacy, and this strategy is safer and minimally invasive, which is reflected in a lower incidence of acute intracranial hemorrhage, overall complication rate, and length of hospital stay.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier: CRD42021270835.

Middle meningeal artery embolization with subdural evacuating port system for primary management of chronic subdural hematomas

Optimal treatment for chronic subdural hematomas remains controversial and perioperative risks and comorbidities may affect management strategies. Minimally invasive procedures are emerging as alternatives to the standard operative treatments. We evaluate our experience with middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization combined with Subdural Evacuating Port System (SEPS) placement as a first-line treatment for patients with cSDH. A single institution retrospective review was performed of all patients undergoing intervention. Patients were stratified by treatment with MMA embolization and SEPS placement, MMA embolization and surgery, SEPS placement only, and surgery only for cSDH from 2017 to 2020, and cohorts were compared against each other. Patients treated with MMA/SEPS were more likely to be older, be on anticoagulation, have significant comorbidities, have shorter length of stay, and less likely to have symptomatic recurrence compared to SEPS only cohort. Thus, MMA/SEPS appears to be a safe and equally effective minimally invasive treatment for cSDH patients with significant comorbidities who are poor surgical candidates.

Management of chronic subdural hematoma with the subdural evacuating port system: Systematic review and meta-analysis

The subdural evacuating port system (SEPS) is a minimally invasive option for treating chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH). Individual case series have shown it to be safe and effective, but outcomes have not been systematically reviewed. We sought to review the literature in order to determine the safety and efficacy of SEPS as a first line treatment for cSDH. A comprehensive literature search for outcomes following SEPS placement as a primary treatment for cSDH was performed. The primary outcome was treatment success, which was defined as a composite of improvement in presenting symptoms and no need for further treatment in the operating room. Additional outcomes included discharge disposition, length of stay (LOS), hematoma recurrence, and complications. A total of 12 studies comprising 953 patients who underwent SEPS placement met the inclusion criteria. The pooled rate of a successful outcome was 0.79 (95% CI 0.75-0.83). Frequency of delayed hematoma recurrence was 0.15 (95% CI 0.10-0.21). The pooled inpatient mortality rate was 0.02 (95% CI 0.01-0.03). Complications rates included 0.02 (95% CI 0.00-0.03) for any acute hemorrhage, 0.01 (95% CI 0.00-0.01) for acute hemorrhage requiring surgery, and 0.02 (95% CI 0.01-0.03) for seizure. SEPS placement is associated with a success rate of 79% and very low rates of acute hemorrhage and seizure. This data supports its use as a first-line management strategy, although prospective randomized studies are needed.

A simple and effective modified technique of twist drill craniostomy for bedside drainage and irrigation of chronic subdural hematoma: Technical and clinical study

OBJECTIVE

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is an important health problem observed mostly in elderly population. Here, we aimed to describe and validate a simple modified technique of twist-drill craniostomy (TDC) using easily accessible tools for effective and safe bedside CSDH drainage.

METHODS

A detailed description of the new modified TDC technique which allows for sequential drainage and irrigation under physiological conditions is provided. Clinical and radiological characteristics as well as surgical results of the patients undergoing this procedure are also presented.

RESULTS

A total of 55 patients (30 M, 25 F) underwent this modified TDC. Mean age was 61.7 ± 12.3 years. Medical comorbidities were common (76.4 %). Subdural hematoma was mostly unilateral (83.6 %). Maximum width of hematoma was 21 ± 4 mm on average (range: 9-38 mm). In total, patients underwent 1.6 ± 0.9 subdural tappings on average (median: 1, range: 1-5). Repeat tappings were performed in 43.6 % of the patients. No mortality, serious morbidity or infectious complications were noted. Pneumocephalus was either absent or minimal in most cases (96.4 %). Mean length of hospital stay was 4.9 ± 4.0 days (median: 3; range: 2-20 days). The clinical outcomes were favorable in 92.7 % of the patients (no craniotomy required and no symptomatic recurrence detected).

CONCLUSION

This modified technique of TDC utilizes easily available tools, yields satisfactory radiological and clinical results, allows repeated tappings even in outpatient settings and can thus be readily applied in every neurosurgical unit across the world. It can be an effective alternative to existing procedures for patients with multiple co-morbidities and/or high anesthesia risk, in emergency conditions and busy neurosurgical centers.

Benefits of the Subdural Evacuating Port System (SEPS) Procedure Over Traditional Craniotomy for Subdural Hematoma Evacuation

Background

There remains no consensus on the optimal primary intervention for subdural hematoma (SDH). Although historically favored, craniotomy carries substantial morbidity and incurs significant costs. Contrastingly, the subdural evacuating port system (SEPS) is a minimally invasive bedside procedure. We assessed the benefits of SEPS over traditional craniotomy for SDH evacuation.

Methods

A single-center retrospective cohort study of SDH patients receiving craniotomy or SEPS between 2012 and 2017 was performed. Information regarding demographics, medical history, presentation, surgical outcomes, cost, and complications was collected. Pre- and postoperative hematoma volumes were calculated using 3D image segmentation using Vitrea software. Multivariate regression models were employed to assess the influence of intervention choice.

Results

Of 107 patients, 68 underwent craniotomy and 39 underwent SEPS. There were no differences in age, sex, blood thinner use, platelet count, INR, hematoma lateralization, age, volume, or midline shift at presentation between intervention groups. Although there was no difference in percent residual hematoma volume 24-hour postintervention (44.1% vs 45.1%, P = .894), SEPS was associated with lower hospitalization costs ($108 391 vs $166 318, *P = .002), shorter length of stay (4.0 vs 5.8 days, *P = .0002), and fewer postoperative seizures (2.6% vs 17.7%, *P = .048). Reoperation rate was higher after SEPS overall (33.3% vs 13.2%, *P = .048) but comparable to craniotomy in chronic SDH (12.50% vs 7.69%, P = 1.000).

Conclusion

In this retrospective cohort, SEPS was noninferior to craniotomy at reducing SDH hematoma volume. The SEPS procedure was also associated with decreased length of stay hospitalization costs, and postoperative seizures and demonstrated a comparable recurrence rate to craniotomy for chronic SDH in particular.

Surgical Drains in Chronic Subdural Hematoma Surgery: From the Cheapest to the Most Expensive Drains

OBJECTIVE

Among the various neurosurgical techniques currently being used in chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) surgery, bur hole craniostomy is the most popular worldwide. Recent studies have strongly recommended that a drain be placed after surgical evacuation of a hematoma, and a broad spectrum of preformed surgical drains is widely available for this purpose. If preformed drains are unavailable, a surgeon-made drain can be used and various methods are available to develop a drain in the operating room.

METHODS

Using a case report, we demonstrate how to develop a surgeon-made drain. Next, we retrospectively screened for subdural drain usage in consecutive patients undergoing bur hole drainage for CSDH at Adiyaman University Hospital between January 2017 and April 2017, and data from only those patients in whom a surgeon-made drain was used were included for analyses.

RESULTS

A 74-year-old male was operated with the diagnosis of CSDH. Assembly of a surgeon-made drain was explained step by step. Our review identified 6 unilateral and 2 bilateral cases in which 10 surgeon-made drains were used. Mean age of the patients was 72, and mean follow-up period was 7 months, 23 days. No instances of infection or drain-related complications had been recorded. The recurrence rate was 0%, and the average drainage period was 3.4 days.

CONCLUSIONS

In case of unavailability of a preformed drain, a surgeon-made drain can be used during CSDH surgery. Different methods are available and can be further diversified using various combinations of simple medical materials.