Comparative analysis of safety and efficacy in subperiosteal versus subdural drainage after burr-hole trephination for chronic subdural hematoma

• Published in: Clinical neurology and neurosurgery 2022-01, Vol.212, p.107068-107068, Article 107068
• Main Authors: Hwang, Yunoh, Choi, Sangsoo, Kim, Yeo Song, Park, Jae-Sung, Choi, Jai Ho, Jeun, Sin-Soo, Ahn, Stephen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anesthesia; Anticoagulants; Blood; Brain; Burr-hole drainage; Catheters; Chronic subdural hematoma; Clinical trials; Comparative analysis; Drainage - adverse effects; Drainage - methods; Dura mater; Female; General anesthesia; Hematoma; Hematoma, Subdural, Chronic - surgery; Hemorrhage; Humans; Male; Medical imaging; Meninges; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Mortality; Neurology; Older people; Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; Patients; Periosteum - surgery; Pneumonia; Postoperative Complications; Retrospective Studies; Subdural drain; Subdural Space - surgery; Subperiosteal drain; Surgery; Surgical drains; Traumatic brain injury; Trephining - adverse effects; Trephining - methods; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0303-8467; 1872-6968
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2021.107068

The treatment of choice for chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) has been established as burr-hole trephination with drain insertion; however, controversy remains over the best place for the drainage catheter. In this study, we compare the safety and efficacy of a subperiosteal drain (SPD) with that of a subdural drain (SDD) after one burr-hole trephination for CSDH. This retrospective and comparative study includes all CSDH patients treated with burr-hole trephination at our institution between January 2015 and December 2019. 59 patients were treated with SPD insertion (SPD group), and 203 patients were treated with SDD insertion (SDD group). The median hematoma thickness of the SPD group within 24 h after surgery was significantly thicker than that of the SDD group (9.5 mm vs. 7.5 mm, p = 0.003), but the midline shifting of the SPD group did not differ from that of the SDD group (3.8 mm vs. 3.5 mm, p = 0.280). The recurrence rate in the SPD group did not differ significantly from that in the SDD group (13.2% vs. 8.5%, p = 0.351). The frequency of bleeding events after surgery also did not differ significantly (5.1% vs. 3.5% p-value = 0.636). In contrast to surgery-related morbidities, medical morbidities such as pneumonia were significantly higher in the SDD group (4.4% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.044). The all-cause mortality rates during the perioperative period did not differ between the two groups (5.1% vs. 3.4%, p = 0.848). Our findings may suggest that burr-hole trephination with SPD insertion had better surgical feasibility and fewer perioperative complications than SDD insertion. The type of anesthesia seems to be related with fewer medical complications at perioperative period. Larger, randomized clinical trials focusing not only the drain type but anesthesia type, are needed to validate our findings. •Treatment for chronic subdural hematoma is a burr-hole trephination with drain.•Controversy remains over the best place for drain after burr-hole trephination.•Subperiosteal drain insertion can be an alternative option instead of subdural drain.