gms | German Medical Science

Objective: Cranioplasty (CP) is considered a standard procedure in neurosurgical practice for patients after decompressive craniectomy (DC). Nevertheless, cranioplastic surgery is not standardized, carried out in different ways and is associated with high complication rates. Evidence-based data is missing for the timing of surgery, implant materials, surgical technique including timing of CSF shunting and drainages as well as for the need for perioperative antibiotics. Therefore, a prospective multicenter registry (GCRR) was launched as a project of the DGNC Section for Neurotraumatology and Intensive Care and started to enroll DC and CP patients in July 2015.

Method: All patients undergoing DC and CP can be included in this registry after informed consent has been obtained. Surgical techniques, materials, medical history, adverse events and clinical outcome are assessed regularly. Furthermore, quality of life and patient-satisfaction are recorded. Collected data is stored and statistically analyzed in an independent biometric institute. This trial is indexed in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS-ID: DRKS00007931).

Results: At present 71 patients have been enrolled in the registry and will approximately exceed n=150 in June 2016. We will prepare an interim report on the first year of the GCRR. Updates on enrolment and pilot data analyses will be presented and discussed at the Annual Meeting of the DGNC, which is addressed as a translational forum for this multicenter registry.

Conclusions: This registry will secure high quality of data, reviewing our current clinical practice for DC and CP. Its goal will be to support future guidelines based on results deducted from prospective multicenter data acquisition.