• Amel Daboussi, Vincent Minville, Sophie Leclerc-Foucras, Thomas Geeraerts, Jean Paul Esquerré, Pierre Payoux, and Olivier Fourcade.
• Service de Médecine Nucléaire, CHU Purpan, Hôpital Bicêtre, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France.
• J Neurosurg Anesthesiol. 2009 Oct 1;21(4):339-45.

ObjectiveTo assess the intracranial hemodynamic modifications induced by a decompressive craniectomy (DC) after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), using transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography and intracranial pressure (ICP) sensor. Mortality rate and neurological outcomes were also evaluated after this procedure.DesignA prospective study was carried out on 26 TBI patients, measuring transcranial Doppler and ICP before, immediately after, and 48 hours after the DC, allowing for statistical analysis of hemodynamic changes. The mortality rate and the neurological outcomes were assessed.Measurements And ResultsAfter DC, ICP decreased from 37+/-17 to 20+/-13 mm Hg (P=0.0003). The global cerebral blood flow was modified with diastolic velocities rising from 23+/-15 to 31+/-13 cm/s (P=0.0038) and a pulsatility index decreasing from 1.70+/-0.66 to 1.18+/-0.37 (P=0.0012). This normalization of the global cerebral hemodynamics after the DC was immediate, symmetric, and constant during the first 48 hours. Outcome was evaluated at 6 months: good recovery or moderate disability was observed in 11 patients (42%), persistent vegetative state in 7 patients (27%), and 8 patients died (31%).ConclusionsThe DC results in a significant, immediate, and durable improvement of ICP associated with a normalization of cerebral blood flow velocities in most TBI patients with refractory intracranial hypertension.

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