Rapid bedside technique for percutaneous ventricular drainage in patients with severe subarachnoid haemorrhage. Technical note

Intermediate surgical outcome in patients suffering poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. A single center experience

BACKGROUND

It is known that patients suffering poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) have a dismal prognosis. The importance of early intervention is well established in the pertinent literature. Our aim was to assess the functional outcome and overall survival of these patients undergoing surgical clipping.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In the current retrospective study we included all consecutive poor-grade patients after spontaneous SAH who presented at our institution over an eight-year period. All participants suffering SAH underwent brain CT angiography (CTA) to identify the source of hemorrhage. We assessed the severity of hemorrhage according to the Fisher grade classification scale. All patients were surgically treated. The functional outcome was evaluated six months after the onset with the Glasgow Outcome Scale. Finally, we performed logistic and Cox regression analyses to identify potential prognostic risk factors.

RESULTS

Our study included twenty-three patients with a mean age of 53 years. Five (22%) patients presented with Hunt and Hess grade IV, and eighteen (78%) with grade V. The mean follow-up was 15.8 months, while the overall mortality rate was 48%. The six-month functional outcome was favorable in 6 (26%) patients. The vast majority of our patients died between the 15^th and the 60^th post-ictal days. We did not identify any statistically significant prognostic factors related to the patient's outcome and/or survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Poor-grade aSAH patients may have a favorable outcome with proper surgical management. Large-scale studies are necessary for accurately outlining the prognosis of this entity, and identifying parameters that could be predictive of outcome.

Third ventriculostomy through the lamina terminalis for intracranial pressure monitoring after aneurysm surgery: technical note

OBJECTIVE

A new ventriculostomy technique through the lamina terminalis is described. This technique is applied mainly during aneurysm surgery at the acute stage.

METHOD

Thirteen patients were operated on intracranial aneurysms and, during the procedure, had the lamina terminalis fenestrated. A ventricular catheter was inserted into the third ventricule, left in place and connected to an external drainage system for further intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage.

RESULTS

ICP readings and CSF drainage were obtained in all cases. No complication was recorded.

CONCLUSION

Third ventriculostomy through the lamina terminalis is a simple and easy technique that can be used as an alternative to conventional ventriculostomy. This procedure can be indicated in cases where the ventricule is not reached by means of another technique, and when the decision to perform ventriculostomy is made at the end of aneurysm surgery.

Ultra-early surgery for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: outcomes for a consecutive series of 391 patients not selected by grade or age

OBJECT

This study was undertaken to determine the outcomes in an unselected group of patients treated with semiurgent surgical clipping of aneurysms following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

METHODS

A clinical management outcome audit was conducted to determine outcomes in a group of 391 consecutive patients who were treated with a consistent policy of ultra-early surgery (all patients treated within 24 hours after SAH and 85% of them within 12 hours). All neurological grades were included, with 45% of patients having poor grades (World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies [WFNS] Grades IV and V). Patients were not selected on the basis of age; their ages ranged between 15 and 93 years and 19% were older than 70 years. The series included aneurysms located in both anterior and posterior circulations. Eighty-eight percent of all patients underwent surgery and only 2.5% of the series were selectively withdrawn (by family request) from the prescribed surgical treatment. In patients with good grades (WFNS Grades I-III) the 3-month postoperative outcomes were independence (good outcome) in 84% of cases, dependence (poor outcome) in 8% of cases, and death in 9%. In patients with poor grades the outcomes were independence in 40% of cases, dependence in 15% of cases, and death in 45%. There was a 12% rate of rebleeding with all cases of rebleeding occurring within the first 12 hours after SAH; however, outcomes of independence were achieved in 46% of cases in which rebleeding occurred (43% mortality rate). Rebleeding was more common in patients with poor grades (20% experienced rebleeding, whereas only 5% of patients with good grades experienced rebleeding).

CONCLUSIONS

The major risk of rebleeding after SAH is present within the first 6 to 12 hours. This risk of ultra-early rebleeding is highest for patients with poor grades. Securing ruptured aneurysms by surgery or coil placement on an emergency basis for all patients with SAH has a strong rational argument.

Intracranial bleeding rates associated with two methods of external ventricular drainage

We investigated the risk of intracranial haemorrhage with two frequently performed methods of external ventricular drainage (EVD). Haemorrhage is believed to be a rare complication of such procedures, although in most studies reported in the literature standardised evaluation of computed tomography (CT) scans was not performed in all cases. Data were analysed retrospectively for 82 patients who had undergone percutaneous needle trephination and 92 who had undergone classic ventriculostomy. We found an overall bleeding risk with EVD of 9.4%. Most haematomas were small, and only one caused neurological symptoms. Therefore, the risk of symptomatic haemorrhage in this study was low (0.5%). Percutaneous needle trephination was associated with a higher risk of haemorrhage (12.2%) than classic ventriculostomy (6.5%), although differences were not statistically significant. We conclude from our results that small asymptomatic haemorrhages occur far more often after EVD than has generally been suspected. To compare the true risk of bleeding associated with different drainage methods requires controlled studies in which CT scans are evaluated in a standardised way.

Efficacy of the Ghajar Guide revisited: a prospective study

OBJECT

The goal of this study was to compare the freehand technique of catheter placement using external landmarks with the technique of using the Ghajar Guide for this procedure. The placement of a ventricular catheter can be a lifesaving procedure, and it is commonly performed by all neurosurgeons. Various methods have been described to cannulate the ventricular system, including the modified Friedman tunnel technique in which a soft polymeric tube is inserted through a burr hole. Paramore, et al., have noted that two thirds of noninfectious complications have been related to incorrect positioning of the catheter.

METHODS

Forty-nine consecutive patients were randomized between either freehand or Ghajar Guide-assisted catheter placement. The target was the foramen of Monro, and the course was through the anterior horn of the lateral ventricle approximately 10 cm above the nasion, 3 cm from the midline, to a depth of 5.5 cm from the inner table of the skull. In all cases, the number of passes was recorded for successful cannulation, and pre- and postplacement computerized tomography scans were obtained. Calculations were performed to determine the bicaudate index and the distance from the catheter tip to the target point.

CONCLUSIONS

Successful cannulation was achieved using either technique; however, the catheters placed using the Ghajar Guide were closer to the target.

Early management in poor grade aneurysm patients

Aneurysm surgery began in Lübeck only in 1986 when the department was completely reorganized. Early operation in the good grade patients (I-III, according to Hunt and Hess) was performed. In every case we also discussed the feasibility of operating on the poor grade patients (Hunt and Hess IV and V). During a five-year period (1986-1991) a total of 277 SAH patients were admitted to the department. 109 (39%) patients arrived in a poor grade (Hunt and Hess IV or V), 12 of these patients died within hours of admission. 25 patients, who presented with a large intracerebral and/or subdural haematoma, were urgently operated upon by haematoma evacuation and aneurysm clipping. An external ventricular drainage was performed on 72 patients. Of the ventriculostomy group 33 patients improved and 27 were operated upon. In 17 of the 39 patients without improvement after CSF-drainage we decided to operate. Overall 69 patients were surgically treated (craniotomy, aneurysm clipping) and 40 were not. The mortality rate in the surgical cases was 16 (23%) compared with 30 (75%) without operation. It is concluded that poor grade aneurysm patients can achieve a better outcome with active treatment based on immediate ventriculostomy and optimal haemodynamic parameters after haematoma evacuation and early occlusion of the aneurysm.