Loading...
Chronic subdural hematoma, a common disease of aged patients, frequently requires neurosurgical intervention. Insertion of a subdural drain following burr-hole evacuation of the hematoma improves functional outcomes, but the optimal duration of drainage remains unknown. In an earlier trial, drainage lasting 24 hours was associated with similar rates of repeat operation as 48 hours of drainage but with less time spent in the neurosurgical unit. Now, the same research group has tested whether drainage intervals of 6 or 12 hours were noninferior to a 24-hour interval in avoiding subdural recurrence requiring reoperation.
In the randomized study of 331 patients, reoperation by 3-month follow-up was necessary in 27% of patients in the 6-hour grou…