title: Endoscopic burr hole surgery with a curettage and suction technique to treat traumatic subacute subdural hematomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traumatic subacute subdural hematomas can usually be evacuated via craniotomy under general anesthesia. We report a traumatic subacute subdural hematoma in an elderly patient that was evacuated by endoscopic burr hole surgery using a curettage and suction technique under local anesthesia. This minimally invasive neurosurgery may lower the morbidity rate in elderly or sick patients with serious cardiac and/or pulmonary lesions in whom the inherent risks of general anesthesia are high.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 88-year-old man was referred to our institution with left hemiparesis 6 days after sustaining a head injury. He was on antiplatelet drugs for severe coronary and peripheral artery disease and underwent hemodialysis three times a week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Endoscopic burr hole surgery using a curettage and suction technique resulted in the complete evacuation of his subacute subdural hematoma and complete hemostasis, and he recovered completely.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endoscopic burr hole surgery using a curettage and suction technique is a minimally invasive treatment to address subacute subdural hematomas. This method may be particularly useful in older patients in whom general anesthesia poses additional risks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueba
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Munenori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Tooru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods*; D003475:Curettage / Q000379:methods*; D006408:Hematoma, Subdural / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D044583:Neuroendoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D013396:Suction / Q000379:methods