ReviewTrauma surgery & acute care open2025
Decompressive craniectomy for traumatic brain injury: a review of recent landmark trials.
Review in Trauma surgery & acute care open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Beyond the bone flap: integrating biomarkers, imaging, and emerging technologies in the surgical continuum of acute subdural hematoma (ASDH).Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2026Review
- A simple and aesthetically pleasing floating craniotomy: How I do it.Acta neurochirurgica · 2026Article
- Evolution from Decompressive Craniectomy to Early Minimally Invasive Surgical Approach for Refractory Increased Intracranial Pressure Treatment: Merit or Social Problems?Turkish journal of anaesthesiology and reanimation · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of trauma-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, with decompressive craniectomy (DC) serving as a critical surgical intervention. This article reviews the recent studies evaluating the role of DC in the management of elevated intracranial pressures (ICPs) associated with TBI and its impact on functional outcomes. Decompressive Craniectomy in Diffuse Traumatic Brain Injury (DECRA), Randomized Evaluation of Surgery with Craniectomy for Uncontrollable Elevation of intracranial pressure (RESCUEicp), and Randomized Evaluation of Surgery with Craniectomy for patients Undergoing Evacuation of Acute Subdural Hematoma (RESCUE-ASDH) are three landmark trials that used varying thresholds for surgical intervention after TBI and examined how functional outcomes improved with time. The DECRA trial evaluated early DC in patients with moderate ICP elevations, demonstrating reduced intensive care unit and hospital stays but poorer functional outcomes at 6 months. Conversely, the RESCUEicp trial emphasized the benefits of delayed DC as a rescue strategy for refractory ICP, showing reduced mortality and improved Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended scores at 24 months. The RESCUE-ASDH trial compared DC and craniotomy for acute subdural hematoma, finding no significant differences in functional outcomes but distinct profiles of surgical complications. Key recommendations emphasize individualized decision-making based on patient-specific factors, including preinjury functional status and family involvement. This comprehensive review underscores the importance of tailoring DC timing and techniques to optimize functional recovery and align with patient-centered goals, advancing the multidisciplinary management of severe TBI.
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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.