Sellar and parasellar tumor removal without discontinuing antithrombotic therapy

The effect of anti-thrombotics on the postoperative bleeding rate in patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumor

OBJECTIVE

The peak prevalence of many brain tumors is in elderly patients. These patients are often treated with platelet inhibitors (PIs) or anticoagulants (ACs), creating a challenge for neurosurgeons concerning the perioperative management. The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of PI/AC treatment on the postoperative bleeding rates in patients undergoing craniotomy due to a brain tumor.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of 415 consecutive patients undergoing craniotomy/craniectomy due to a brain tumor. Ninety-nine patients with PI/AC treatment (PI/AC group consisting of 64 PI, 29 AC, and six multiple) and 316 patients without PI/AC (control group) were primarily compared for hemorrhage rate. Secondary outcome measures were clinical outcome and mortality. The association between short preoperative discontinuation (≤5 days), early postoperative resumption time (≤5 days), as well as short total discontinuation time (≤5 days) of PI/AC and postoperative bleeding rates was analyzed.

RESULTS

Postoperative bleeding rates were comparable between the groups (12.2% and 13.5% in the PI/AC and control group, respectively; p=.74). The majority of bleeds were asymptomatic (85.2%). No significant difference in the postoperative mortality rate was observed (1.0% and 1.6% in the PI/AC and the control group, respectively; p=.67). Shorter discontinuation time of PI/AC was not significantly associated with higher postoperative bleeding rates (preoperative: 12.1% vs. 12.3%; p=.94, postoperative: 11.1% vs. 12.5%, respectively; p=.87, total: 16.7% vs. 12%, respectively; p=.73).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients treated with PI/AC undergoing craniotomy for the resection of brain tumor do not seem to have increased rates of postoperative bleeding or mortality. We did not find a significant correlation between short discontinuation time of PI/AC in the perioperative period and postoperative bleeding.

Management of Patients undergoing Elective Craniotomy under Antiplatelet or Anticoagulation Therapy: An International Survey of Practice

BACKGROUND

 The literature concerning the management of antiplatelet (AP) and anticoagulation (AC) medication in the perioperative phase of craniotomy remains scarce. The aim of this international survey was to investigate the current practice among neurosurgeons regarding their perioperative management of AP and AC medication.

METHODS

 We distributed an online survey to neurosurgeons worldwide with questions concerning their perioperative practice with AP and AC medication in patients undergoing craniotomy. Descriptive statistics were performed.

RESULTS

 A total of 130 replies were registered. The majority of responders practice neurosurgery in Europe (79%) or high-income countries (79%). Responders reported in 58.9 and 48.8% to have institutional guidelines for the perioperative management of AP and AC medication. Preoperative interruption time was reported heterogeneously for the different types of AP and AC medication with 40.4% of responders interrupting aspirin (ASA) for 4 to 6 days and 45.7% interrupting clopidogrel for 6 to 8 days. Around half of the responders considered ASA safe to be continued or resumed within 3 days for bypass (55%) or vascular (49%) surgery, but only few for skull base or other tumor craniotomies in general (14 and 26%, respectively). Three quarters of the responders (74%) did not consider AC safe to be continued or resumed early (within 3 days) for any kind of craniotomy. ASA was considered to have the lowest risk of bleeding. Nearly all responders (93%) agreed that more evidence is needed concerning AP and AC management in neurosurgery.

CONCLUSION

 Worldwide, the perioperative management of AP and AC medication is very heterogeneous among neurosurgeons.

Perioperative management of antithrombotics in elective intracranial procedures: systematic review, critical appraisal

PURPOSE

Perioperative management of patients medicated with antithrombotics requiring elective intracranial procedures is challenging. We ought to (1) identify the clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and recommendations (CPRs) on perioperative management of antithrombotic agents in elective intracranial surgery and (2) assess their methodological quality and reporting clarity.

METHODS

The study was conducted following the 2020 PRISMA guidelines for a systematic review and has been registered (PROSPERO, CRD42023415710). An electronic search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The search terms used were "adults," "antiplatelets," "anticoagulants," "guidelines," "recommendations," "english language," "cranial surgery," "brain surgery," "risk of bleeding," "risk of coagulation," and "perioperative management" in all possible combinations. The search period extended from 1964 to April 2023 and was limited to literature published in the English language. The eligible studies were evaluated by three blinded raters, by employing the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II (AGREE-II) analysis tool.

RESULTS

A total of 14 sets of guidelines were evaluated. Two guidelines from the European Society of Anaesthesiology and one from the American College of Chest Physicians found to have the highest methodological quality and reporting clarity according to the AGREE-II tool. The interrater agreement was good with a mean Cohens Kappa of 0.70 (range, 46.5-94.4%) in the current analysis.

CONCLUSION

The perioperative management of antithrombotics in intracranial procedures may be challenging, complex, and demanding. Due to the lack of high quality data, uncertainty remains regarding the optimal practices to balance the risk of thromboembolism against that of bleeding.

Management and risk of postoperative bleeding in patients with low-dose antiplatelet aspirin medication during endoscopic endonasal surgery for pituitary adenomas

BACKGROUND

To analyze the risk of postoperative bleeding following endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery (EETS) for treatment of pituitary adenomas (PA) in patients with short-term discontinuation of low-dose aspirin, if required for prevention of artherothrombotic disease (ATD).

METHODS

Patients with preoperative aspirin medication were identified in this single-center retrospective analysis of consecutive patients with PA, who underwent EETS between December 2008 and June 2022. Aspirin was discontinued perioperatively less than 2 days, > 2 and < 4 days, and > 4 and < 7 days according to the assumed risk of perioperative ATD. For those patients, the rate of postoperative bleeding, which required surgery, was compared to patients without aspirin.

RESULTS

Forty-five (14.8%) out of 304 patients underwent EETS with short-term perioperative aspirin discontinuation. Thirty-six (80%) patients discontinued aspirin < 2 days, 6 (13.3%) patients > 2 and < 4 days, and 3 patients (6.7%) > 4 but < 7 days. Postoperative bleeding rate was not increased in patients with short-term perioperative aspirin discontinuation. One patient (0.3%) without perioperative aspirin medication underwent revision surgery for treatment of postoperative hemorrhage with suprasellar extension. Eight patients (2.6%) had postoperative epistaxis (1 patient (0.3%) with short-term discontinuation and 7 patients (2.3%) without aspirin). Patients with perioperative aspirin were significantly older (68.3 ± 8.6 vs. 57.9 ± 14.1; p < 0.01) and had a significantly lower rate of hormonally active tumors (11.1% vs. 25.1%; p < 0.05) compared to patients without aspirin. No differences were found for tumor characteristics (tumor extension, tumor volume, largest diameter) between both groups.

CONCLUSION

Short-term discontinuation of low-dose aspirin was not associated with increased rate of postoperative bleeding in patients, who underwent EETS for treatment of PA.

Risks and benefits of continuation and discontinuation of aspirin in elective craniotomies: a systematic review and pooled-analysis

BACKGROUND/AIM

Discontinuation of aspirin (ASA) prior to elective craniotomies is common practice. However, patients treated with ASA for secondary prevention bear a higher risk for thromboembolic complications. Aim of this systematic review is to investigate the risks and benefits of perioperative continuation and discontinuation of ASA in elective craniotomies.

METHODS

PubMed and Embase databases were searched. Inclusion criteria were retro- and prospective studies, reporting hemorrhagic and thromboembolic complications in patients in whom ASA was either continued or discontinued perioperatively in elective craniotomies. We excluded shunt operations and emergency cases. The MINORS (Methodological index for non-randomized studies) score was used to quantify the methodological quality of the eligible studies.

RESULTS

Out of 523 publications, 7 met the eligibility criteria (cumulative cohort of 646 patients). The mean MINORS score for the comparative studies was 18.7/24 (± SD 2.07, range: 17-22) and 9/16 for the unique non-comparative study, indicating an overall weak methodological quality of the included studies. 57.1% of the patients underwent craniotomy for intra- and extra-axial tumor removal, 39.0% for bypass surgery and 3.9% for neurovascular lesions (other than bypass). In 31.0% of the cases, ASA was prescribed for primary and in 69.0% for secondary prevention. ASA was continued perioperatively in 61.8% and discontinued in 38.2% of the cases. The hemorrhagic complication rate was 3% (95% CI [0.01-0.05]) in the ASA continuation group (Con-Group) and 3% (95% CI [0.01-0.09]) in the discontinuation group (Disc-Group) (p = 0.9). The rate of thromboembolic events in the Con-Group was 3% (95% CI [0.01-0.06]) in comparison to 6% (95% CI [0.02-0.14]) in the Disc-Group (p = 0.1).

CONCLUSION

Perioperative continuation of ASA in elective craniotomies does not seem to be associated with an increased hemorrhagic risk. The potential beneficial effect of ASA continuation on thromboembolic events needs to be further investigated in patients under ASA for secondary prevention.

Staged endovascular treatment of a coexisting parasellar aneurysm and endoscopic resection of a pituitary macroadenoma: illustrative case

BACKGROUND

Intracranial aneurysms and pituitary adenomas are relatively common pathologies that, in rare instances, may concurrently present. Their management poses considerable clinical and technical challenges.

OBSERVATIONS

The authors present a case of a 66-year-old female patient with a fusiform aneurysm of the left internal carotid artery associated with a symptomatic pituitary macroadenoma that had been causing visual deficits for the past several years. She underwent successful placement of flow diverter stents across her aneurysm, followed by routine dual antiplatelet therapy to maintain stent patency. She underwent frequent serial radiographic, endocrine, and ophthalmological evaluations during this time to ensure stability of her pituitary adenoma. Following confirmation of aneurysm obliteration and subsequent de-escalation of antiplatelet medications to aspirin monotherapy, her tumor was subsequently resected via an endoscopic endonasal approach in a delayed fashion.

LESSONS

The authors review the literature regarding management of these concurrent pathologies and describe the aspects of the case that led them to their chosen treatment strategy. An algorithm is proposed regarding the management of parasellar aneurysms with a concurrent diagnosis of pituitary tumor pathology.

Pituitary Adenomas Associated with Intracranial Aneurysms: the Clinical Characteristics, Therapeutic Strategies, and Possible Effects of Vascular Remodeling Factors

Background Pituitary adenoma coexists with intracranial aneurysms in 2.3 to 3.6% of cases, and intracranial aneurysms are thought to be incidental. On the other hand, older age and cavernous sinus invasion are reported to increase the rate of coexistence, so these two diseases may be related.

Methods Ten males and 14 females with the coexistence of pituitary adenomas and intracranial aneurysms were retrospectively investigated among 923 patients (2.6%). Patients were subdivided into two groups: those with direct attachment of cerebral aneurysms to the pituitary adenomas and those without direct attachment. The clinical characteristics, therapeutic strategies, and possible effects of vascular remodeling factors were investigated.

Results Twelve patients had functioning pituitary adenomas, and cavernous sinus invasion was identified in 7 of 24 patients. Five of these 7 patients were treated with priority for the cerebral aneurysm until 2007, whereas 14 of 17 patients without involvement of the aneurysm tip in the tumor were treated with priority for the pituitary adenoma in the later period. Among vascular remodeling factors, strong expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was significantly associated with the coexistence of pituitary adenoma and cerebral aneurysm (p < 0.05).

Conclusion Intracranial aneurysms were found to coexist in 2.6% of cases of surgically treated pituitary adenomas. VEGF-induced arterial wall remodeling may be part of the mechanism of association between pituitary adenomas and cerebral aneurysms, suggesting possible causative mechanism.

Does the discontinuation time of antiplatelet or anticoagulation treatment affect hemorrhagic complications in patients undergoing craniotomy for neurovascular lesions?

BACKGROUND

The number of patients treated with platelet inhibitors (PI) and/or anticoagulants (AC) in neurosurgery is increasing. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of PI/AC discontinuation time on hemorrhagic events after craniotomy for neurovascular pathologies.

METHODS

The 30-day postoperative bleeding rates were retrospectively compared between short (≤5 days) and long (>5 days) discontinuation time of PI/AC before and after surgery. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis comparing time to postoperative bleeding and the effect of PI/AC discontinuation time on bleeding rates were analysed. Potential risk factors for postoperative bleeding were further analysed in uni- and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Out of 215 consecutive patients undergoing craniotomy for neurovascular lesions between January 2009 and April 2019, 23.3% were treated with PI/AC. Of these 36% (n = 18) and 20.8% (n = 10) were included in the short pre- and postoperative discontinuation group, respectively. Bleeding rates were comparable between the pre- and postoperative short and long discontinuation groups (preoperative 11.1% vs 10%, p = .659; postoperative 0% vs 13.2%, p = .566). In-hospital mortality rates and time to bleed of the groups were comparable as well. Similarly, the rate for thromboembolic events was not significantly affected by the pre- or postoperative discontinuation time of PI/AC. After multivariate analysis preoperative bleeding of the lesion was significantly associated with postoperative bleeding.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with short discontinuation time of PI/AC treatment undergoing craniotomy for the treatment of neurovascular lesions do not appear to have increased rates of postoperative bleeding.

Effect of preoperative antiplatelet or anticoagulation therapy on hemorrhagic complications in patients with traumatic brain injury undergoing craniotomy or craniectomy

OBJECTIVE

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common among the elderly, often treated with antiplatelet (AP) or anticoagulation (AC) therapy, creating new challenges in neurosurgery. In contrast to elective craniotomy, in which AP/AC therapy is mostly discontinued, in TBI usually no delay in treatment can be afforded. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of AP/AC therapy on postoperative bleeding after craniotomy/craniectomy in TBI.

METHODS

Postoperative bleeding rates in patients treated with AP/AC therapy (blood thinner group) and in those without AP/AC therapy (control group) were retrospectively compared. Furthermore, univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify risk factors for postoperative bleeding. Lastly, a proportional Cox regression analysis comparing postoperative bleeding events within 14 days in both groups was performed.

RESULTS

Of 143 consecutive patients undergoing craniotomy/craniectomy for TBI between 2012 and 2017, 47 (32.9%) were under AP/AC treatment. No significant difference for bleeding events was observed in univariate (40.4% blood thinner group vs 36.5% control group; p = 0.71) or Cox proportional regression analysis (log rank χ2 = 0.29, p = 0.59). Patients with postoperative bleeding showed a significantly higher mortality rate (p = 0.035). In the univariate analysis, hemispheric lesion, acute subdural hematoma, hematological disease, greater extent of midline shift, and pupillary difference were significantly associated with a higher risk of postoperative bleeding. However, in the multivariate regression analysis none of these factors showed a significant association with postoperative bleeding.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients treated with AP/AC therapy undergoing craniotomy/craniectomy due to TBI do not appear to have increased rates of postoperative bleeding. Once postoperative bleeding occurs, mortality rates rise significantly.

Perioperative management of endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery

The contemporary embrace of endoscopic technology in the approach to the anterior skull base has altered the perioperative landscape for patients requiring pituitary surgery. Utility of a multi-disciplinary unit in management decisions facilitates the delivery of optimal care. Evolution of technology and surgical expertise in pituitary surgery mandates ongoing review of all components of the care central to these patients. The many areas of potential variability in the pre, intra and post-operative timeline of pituitary surgery are readily identifiable. Core undertakings and contemporary controversies in the peri-operative management of patients undergoing endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary surgery are assessed against the available literature with a view to providing guidance for the best evidence-based practice.

Effect of perioperative aspirin use on hemorrhagic complications in elective craniotomy for brain tumors: results of a single-center, retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

In daily practice, neurosurgeons face increasing numbers of patients using aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, ASA). While many of these patients discontinue ASA 7-10 days prior to elective intracranial surgery, there are limited data to support whether or not perioperative ASA use heightens the risk of hemorrhagic complications. In this study the authors retrospectively evaluated the safety of perioperative ASA use in patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumors in the largest elective cranial surgery cohort reported to date.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 1291 patients who underwent elective intracranial tumor surgery by a single surgeon from 2007 to 2017. The patients were divided into three groups based on their perioperative ASA status: 1) group 1, no ASA; 2) group 2, stopped ASA (low cardiovascular risk); and 3) group 3, continued ASA (high cardiovascular risk). Data collected included demographic information, perioperative ASA status, tumor characteristics, extent of resection (EOR), operative blood loss, any hemorrhagic and thromboembolic complications, and any other complications.

RESULTS

A total of 1291 patients underwent 1346 operations. The no-ASA group included 1068 patients (1112 operations), the stopped-ASA group had 104 patients (108 operations), and the continued-ASA group had 119 patients (126 operations). The no-ASA patients were significantly younger (mean age 53.3 years) than those in the stopped- and continued-ASA groups (mean 64.8 and 64.0 years, respectively; p < 0.001). Sex distribution was similar across all groups (p = 0.272). Tumor locations and pathologies were also similar across the groups, except for deep tumors and schwannomas that were relatively less frequent in the continued-ASA group. There were no differences in the EOR between groups. Operative blood loss was not significantly different between the stopped- (186 ml) and continued- (220 ml) ASA groups (p = 0.183). Most importantly, neither hemorrhagic (0.6%, 0.9%, and 0.8%, respectively; p = 0.921) nor thromboembolic (1.3%, 1.9%, and 0.8%; p = 0.779) complication rates were significantly different between the groups, respectively. In addition, the multivariate model revealed no statistically significant predictor of hemorrhagic complications, whereas male sex (odds ratio [OR] 5.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7-20.5, p = 0.005) and deep-extraaxial-benign ("skull base") tumors (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.3-9.7, p = 0.011) were found to be independent predictors of thromboembolic complications.

CONCLUSIONS

In this cohort, perioperative ASA use was not associated with the increased rate of hemorrhagic complications following intracranial tumor surgery. In patients at high cardiovascular risk, ASA can safely be continued during elective brain tumor surgery to prevent potential life-threatening thromboembolic complications. Randomized clinical trials with larger sample sizes are warranted to achieve a greater statistical power.

Gross total resection of pituitary adenomas after endoscopic vs. microscopic transsphenoidal surgery: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Microscopic transsphenoidal surgery (mTSS) is a well-established method to address adenomas of the pituitary gland. Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery (eTSS) has become a viable alternative, however. Advocates suggest that the greater illumination, panoramic visualization, and angled endoscopic views afforded by eTSS may allow for higher rates of gross total tumor resection (GTR). The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the rate of GTR using mTSS and eTSS.

METHODS

A meta-analysis of the literature was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases through July 2017 in accordance with PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

Seventy case series that reported GTR rate in 8257 pituitary adenoma patients were identified. For all pituitary adenomas, eTSS (GTR=74.0%; I² = 92.1%) was associated with higher GTR as compared to mTSS (GTR=66.4%; I² = 84.0%) in a fixed-effect model (P-interaction < 0.01). For functioning pituitary adenomas (FPAs) (n = 1170 patients), there was no significant difference in GTR rate between eTSS (GTR=75.8%; I² = 63.9%) and mTSS (GTR=75.5%; I² = 79.0%); (P-interaction = 0.92). For nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs) (n = 2655 patients), eTSS (GTR=71.0%; I² = 86.4%) was associated with higher GTR as compared to mTSS (GTR=60.7%; I² = 87.5%) in a fixed-effect model (P-interaction < 0.01). None of the associations were significant in a random-effect model (all P-interaction > 0.05). No significant publication bias was identified for any of the outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Among patients who were not randomly allocated to either approach, eTSS resulted in a higher rate of GTR as compared to mTSS for all patients and for NFPA patients alone, but only in a fixed-effect model. For FPA, however, eTSS did not seem to offer a significantly higher rate of GTR. These conclusions should be interpreted with caution because of the nature of the included non-comparative studies.

The Effect of Preoperative Antiplatelet Therapy on Hemorrhagic Complications after Decompressive Craniectomy in Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury

Objective

Traditionally, it is generally recommended that antiplatelet agent should be discontinued before surgery. However, decompressive craniectomy (DC) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is performed emergently in most cases. Therefore, DC cannot be delayed to the time when the effect of antiplatelet agent on bleeding tendency dissipates. In this study, we evaluated the effect of preinjury antiplatelet therapy on hemorrhagic complications after emergent DC in patients with TBI.

Methods

We retrospectively investigated patients with TBI who underwent emergent DC between 2006 and 2015. The patients were separated into two groups according to the use of preinjury antiplatelet agent: group 1 (patients taking antiplatelet agent) and group 2 (patients not taking antiplatelet agent). The rate of hemorrhagic complications (postoperative epidural or subdural hemorrhage, newly developed, or progression of preexisting contusion or intracerebral hemorrhage within the field of DC) and the rate of reoperation within 7 days after DC were compared between two groups.

Results

During the study period, DC was performed in 90 patients. Of them, 19 patients were taking antiplatelet agent before TBI. The rate of hemorrhagic complications was 52.6% (10/19) in group 1 and 46.5% (33/71) in group 2 (p=0.633). The rate of reoperation was 36.8% (7/19) in group 1 and 36.6% (26/71) in group 2 (p=0.986). No statistical difference was found between two groups.

Conclusion

Preinjury antiplatelet therapy did not influence the rate of hemorrhagic complications and reoperation after DC. Emergent DC in patients with TBI should not be delayed because of preinjury antiplatelet therapy.