• Tatsuya Shimizu, Masanori Aihara, Rei Yamaguchi, Koji Sato, Kaoru Aishima, and Yuhei Yoshimoto.
• Department of Neurosurgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan. Electronic address: shimizut@gunma-u.ac.jp.
• World Neurosurg. 2020 Sep 1; 141: e498-e507.

ObjectiveLarger craniotomy is expected to increase blood flow over a wider range after indirect revascularization. However, the optimal size of craniotomy has not been established. In this study perioperative complications in revascularization surgery for moyamoya disease are evaluated, focusing on craniotomy size.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 87 hemispheres in 65 patients with moyamoya disease who had undergone revascularization surgery. Areas and types of craniotomy were classified as 1-piece craniotomy in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory (1-piece group) in 54 hemispheres (mean area of craniotomy, 40.6 ± 13.5 cm2); 2-piece craniotomy in the MCA territory with anterior cerebral artery (ACA) territory (2-piece group) in 16 hemispheres (mean area of craniotomy, 55.4 ± 12.0 cm2); and 1-piece craniotomy in both MCA and ACA territories (large group) in 17 hemispheres (mean area of craniotomy, 84.2 ± 11.0 cm2). Perioperative complication rates in each craniotomy group were analyzed.ResultsPerioperative complications occurred in 45 hemispheres (52%). Transient, moderate, and severe complications occurred in 38 hemispheres, 3 hemispheres, and 4 hemispheres, respectively. Complication rates in the 1-piece, 2-piece, and large groups were 41%, 63%, and 76%, respectively. Large craniotomy was associated with a significantly higher frequency of complications (P = 0.01). However, no significant difference was found among groups when limiting analysis to moderate and severe complications. Multivariate analysis showed large craniotomy as the only factor independently related to complications (odds ratio, 2.93; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-7.92; P = 0.034).ConclusionsLarge craniotomy is associated with more frequent perioperative complications, especially transient symptoms.Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.

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