SynthesisNeurocritical care2015
Complications Associated with Decompressive Craniectomy: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Neurocritical care, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03777774 (Vacuum Drains vs Passive Drains vs no Drains in Decompressive Craniectomies - A Randomized Controlled Trial on Subgaleal Drain Complication Rates), which is not on this map. Cited by 104 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Vacuum Drains vs Passive Drains vs no Drains in Decompressive Craniectomies - A Randomized Controlled Trial on Subgaleal Drain Complication Rates
Who cites it
104 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 257 citations in OpenAlex.
- The effect of antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapies on clinical outcome of patients undergoing decompressive craniectomy: a systematic review.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Pooled it
- Complications of cranioplasty in relationship to traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Neurosurgical review · 2021Pooled it
- Decompressive craniectomy for the treatment of high intracranial pressure in closed traumatic brain injury.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Early or late cranioplasty following decompressive craniotomy for traumatic brain injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis.The Journal of international medical research · 2018Pooled it
- Large diameter hemicraniectomy does not improve long-term outcome in malignant infarction.Journal of neurology · 2023Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Neuromonitoring in the Decompressed Brain: Rethinking Physiology, Monitoring, and Thresholds After Decompressive Craniectomy.Neurocritical care · 2026Article
- Prognostic Significance of SIRI and SII in Posttraumatic Hydrocephalus Following Traumatic Brain Injury.Asian journal of neurosurgery · 2026Article
- The Effect of Cranioplasty on Cerebrospinal Fluid Dynamics in the Cerebral Aqueduct.Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society · 2026Article
- The Pathophysiology of Sinking Flap Syndrome Associated with Low-Pressure Hydrocephalus: A Case Study Suggests a New Hypothesis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Acute Spontaneous Paradoxical Herniation After Large Cerebral Meningioma Resection and Decompressive Craniectomy: A Case Report and Systematic Review of the Literature.Neurosurgery practice · 2026Article
- Risk factors for post-traumatic hydrocephalus after decompressive craniectomy in patients with traumatic brain injury.BMC neurology · 2026Article
- Timing and Outcomes of Cranioplasty After Decompressive Craniectomy: A Systematic Review of Neurological Recovery, Complications, and Predictive Factors.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- A simple and aesthetically pleasing floating craniotomy: How I do it.Acta neurochirurgica · 2026Article
- Decompressive craniectomy in traumatic brain injury: insights from a 15-year multicentre cohort in Sweden.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2026Article
- Management and outcomes of craniectomy and cranioplasty in pediatric intracranial infections: a multicenter cohort study.Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery · 2026Observational
- A Causal and interpretable machine learning framework for postcranioplasty risk prediction and surgical decision support.NPJ digital medicine · 2026Article
- Optimal time between decompressive craniectomy and cranioplasty to reduce the risk of complications: A retrospective study.Neurosurgical review · 2026Article
- Comparison of autologous and custom-made titanium cranioplasty following decompressive craniectomy for traumatic brain injury: A 7-year clinical experience.Ulusal travma ve acil cerrahi dergisi = Turkish journal of trauma & emergency surgery : TJTES · 2025Article
44 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Decompressive craniectomy (DC) has been used for many years in the management of patients with elevated intracranial pressure and cerebral edema. Ongoing clinical trials are investigating the clinical and cost effectiveness of DC in trauma and stroke. While DC has demonstrable efficacy in saving life, it is accompanied by a myriad of non-trivial complications that have been inadequately highlighted in prospective clinical trials. Missing from our current understanding is a comprehensive analysis of all potential complications associated with DC. Here, we review the available literature, we tabulate all reported complications, and we calculate their frequency for specific indications. Of over 1500 records initially identified, a final total of 142 eligible records were included in our comprehensive analysis. We identified numerous complications related to DC that have not been systematically reviewed. Complications were of three major types: (1) Hemorrhagic (2) Infectious/Inflammatory, and (3) Disturbances of the CSF compartment. Complications associated with cranioplasty fell under similar major types, with additional complications relating to the bone flap. Overall, one of every ten patients undergoing DC may suffer a complication necessitating additional medical and/or neurosurgical intervention. While DC has received increased attention as a potential therapeutic option in a variety of situations, like any surgical procedure, DC is not without risk. Neurologists and neurosurgeons must be aware of all the potential complications of DC in order to properly advise their patients.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.