title: Cranioplasty with subcutaneously preserved autologous bone grafts in abdominal wall-Experience with 75 cases in a post-war country Kosova.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The study is to show the advantages of preservation of a calvarial bone flap in the abdominal pocket after decompressive craniotomy. Decompressive craniectomy is an option in the surgical management of refractory hypertension when maximal medical treatment (sedation, drainage of cerebrospinal fluid, moderate cooling, etc) has failed to control refractory high intracranial pressure.
  
  
  METHODS
  We have prospectively analyzed 82 consecutively operated cases decompressive craniotomies done at the University Neurosurgical Clinic in Prishtina/KOSOVA over a period of eight years (June 1999 to Aug 2008). Of the 75 who had their grafts replaced (7 patient died before replacement of bone graft), 62 patients had hemicraniectomy (fronto-parieto-temporal) 7 of them were bilateral.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 66 out of 75 patients was achieved a satisfactory and cosmetically reconstruction, in 9 cases was required augmentation with methyl methacrylate to achieve cosmetic needs. Two patients had infection and the bone was removed; 6 months later these patients had cranioplasty with methyl methacrylate. The duration of storage of calvarial bone in abdominal pouch before reimplantation was 14 - 232 days (range 56 days).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We think that storage of the patients own bone flap in the abdominal pocket is a safe, easy, cheap, sterile, histocompatible, and better cosmetic results.
authors.affiliation: University Clinical Center of KOSOVA, Clinic of Neurosurgery, Prishtina, Kosova, Germany.
authors.forename: Arsim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morina
authors.forename: Fatos
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kelmendi
authors.forename: Qamile
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Morina
authors.forename: Shefki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dragusha
authors.forename: Feti
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ahmeti
authors.forename: Dukagjin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morina
authors.forename: Kushtrim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gashi