Artikel
To scan or not to scan following neurosurgical evacuation of chronic subdural hematoma – a randomized, controlled trial
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Veröffentlicht: | 18. Juni 2018 |
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Objective: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSH) have high recurrence rates after surgical evacuation. Routine post-surgical CT scans often show substantial residuals, although the value of those scans to predict later symptomatic recurrences is questionable.
Methods: The aim of the trial was to assess a post-surgical follow up strategy that forgoes routine CT scans. We randomized patients after surgical evacuation of CSH to receive either a combined radiological and clinical follow up (CT arm) or a clinical follow up with scans only in case of neurological deterioration (No-CT arm). The primary endpoint was good outcome at month 6, defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 0-3, which was assessed in a blinded manner. Secondary endpoints included surgery for recurrent bleeding and death.
Results: Of 361 randomized patients, 353 (97%) were evaluable for the primary analysis. The rate of good outcome was 93% in the No-CT arm and 89% in the CT arm (odds ratio 1.4, 95% confidence interval 3.72-0.82, p=0.15). Re-operations were performed in 59 and 39 patients of the CT arm and the No-CT arm (p=0.055) and additional adverse events were seen in 26 and 19 patients in the CT arm and the No-CT arm, respectively (p=0.34). Death occurred in 12 patients of the CT arm and in 8 patients of the No-CT arm.
Conclusion: A follow-up plan without routine CT scans after neurosurgical evacuation of CSH appears to be safe, non-inferior, cost-efficient, and may decrease the rate of unnecessary surgeries as well as morbidity and mortality.