Randomized trial shows decompressive craniectomy reduces mortality but increases severe disability in traumatic intracranial hypertension, highlighting critical trade-offs in surgical intervention.
At 6 months, decompressive craniectomy in patients with traumatic brain injury and refractory intracranial hypertension resulted in lower mortality and higher rates of vegetative state, lower severe disability, and upper severe disability than medical care. The rates of moderate disability and good recovery were similar in the two groups. (Funded by the Medical Research Council and others; RESCUEicp Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN66202560 .).
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Hutchinson et al. (2016) studied this question.
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