• Nakao Ota, Shun Ono, Fozia Saeed, Yasuaki Okada, Yosuke Suzuki, Katsunari Kiko, Kosumo Noda, and Rokuya Tanikawa.
• Stroke Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Sapporo Teishinkai Hospital, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Electronic address: nakao1980@gmail.com.
• World Neurosurg. 2024 Feb 1; 182: 105111105-111.

Background And ObjectivesThe treatment of complex intracranial aneurysms with bypass surgery using 2 branches of the superficial temporal artery (STA) proves to be an effective surgical option. However, the harvest of these 2 STA branches, combined with a pterional craniotomy, carries the potential risk of delayed wound healing of the skin flap. This study undertook a retrospective analysis to examine and identify the factors associated with this delayed wound healing.MethodsA total of 56 consecutive cases, including both ruptured and unruptured complex intracranial aneurysms, that underwent bypass surgery with 2 branches of the STA, were analyzed retrospectively.ResultsMajor delayed wound healing was observed in 6 (10.7%) cases. Univariate analysis demonstrated significant associations with the following factors: rupture (P = 0.023), presence of diabetes mellitus (P = 0.028), large craniotomy size (P = 0.012), and the type of skin incision (P ≤ 0.001). Age (P = 0.283), sex (P = 0.558), body mass index (P = 0.221), and other blood test parameters did not demonstrate any statistical significance. Similarly, the presence of a dominant frontal branch (P = 0.515) or a low-positioned frontal branch (P = 0.622) did not reveal statistically significant results.ConclusionsIn the treatment of complex intracranial aneurysms, where harvesting of the 2 STA branches is involved with a pterional craniotomy, producing a smaller skin flap (L- or T-shaped incision) is effective in minimizing the risk of delayed wound healing. The process of harvesting the STA and closing the wound demands meticulous care, taking into consideration the normal anatomical structures and the subdermal vascular plexus of the scalp.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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