ArticleJournal of neurological surgery. Part B, Skull base2026
A Stitch in Time Saves Nine: Retrosigmoid Craniotomy with Layered Suboccipital Muscle Dissection to Prevent Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak and Infection.
Article in Journal of neurological surgery. Part B, Skull base, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: Numerous modifications to the retrosigmoid craniotomy (RSC) have been reported, including variations in skin incision, soft tissue dissection, craniotomy, and closure techniques. This study aims to demonstrate a modified suboccipital muscle dissection technique for RSC with a detailed anatomical description and to assess its effectiveness in minimizing postoperative wound complications. Methods: Between January 2011 and December 2024, 140 consecutive retrosigmoid craniotomies performed at our institute using the standardized layered muscle dissection technique were included. All these cases were retrospectively reviewed for wound-related complications, such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak, pseudomeningocele, and infection, requiring surgical intervention, as well as postoperative headache, including occipital neuralgia requiring medications. Results: The cohort included 63 males and 77 females, with vestibular schwannoma being the most common diagnosis (73.5%). A total of 92 patients underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt before the definitive surgery. The tailored muscle dissection approach was applied uniformly in all the cases. Duroplasty was done in all cases, using pericranial grafts if needed, and in five cases, bone was not replaced due to intraoperative brain bulge. The mean follow-up duration was 40 months. Wound complications occurred in five patients (3.5%): two developed pseudomeningocoele, and three had CSF leak with infection. No patient required additional medication for postoperative surgical site-specific pain. Cosmetic results were favorable, with no wound contracture or muscle atrophy. Conclusion: Understanding and respecting anatomical muscle layers during suboccipital dissection significantly reduce wound-related complications and postoperative morbidity. This sharp dissection technique with minimal coagulation is safe, reproducible, and practical, offering functional and cosmetic benefits.
Indexed as
Identifiers
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.