title: Large bone-flap decompressive craniotomy for treatment of serious craniocerebral injury associated with cerebral infarction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the therapeutic effect of subtemporal decompressive craniotomy with large flap resection on serious craniocerebral injury associated with cerebral infarction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-eight cases of serious head injury accompanied by cerebral infarction were classified into two groups with each having 24 cases: treatment group, in which large bone-flap decompressive craniotomy was performed; control group, in which routine craniotomy and hematoma evacuation were adopted. The status of cerebral infarction pre- and post-operation, as well as the curative effect 3 months after operation were comparatively analysed between the two groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference regarding the status of cerebral infarction on the first day after operation; while one week after operation, the size of cerebral infarction was significantly smaller in treatment group than control one (P less than 0.05). Postoperative 3 months, the mortality rate was 20.8% in treatment group, being evidently superior to that of control group (33.3%, P less than 0.05). The mo- derate disability (good and fair) rate was 41.7% in treatment group, significantly higher than that in control group (25.0%, P less than 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Large bone-flap decompressive craniotomy is confirmed effective and hence it offers us a preferable alternative of treatment by which to reduce disability and fatality rates for patients with serious head injury accompanied by cerebral infarction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Daping Hospital Affiliated to the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China.
authors.forename: Yun-Dong
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yi-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hua-Jiang
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiao-Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D002544:Cerebral Infarction; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma; D003399:Craniotomy; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D006801:Humans; D013524:Surgical Flaps