Perioperative lumbar drain placement: an independent predictor of tension pneumocephalus and intracranial complications following anterior skull base surgery.

Objective: To measure the effect of routine perioperative lumbar drain placement during anterior skull base surgery on the frequency of: 1) tension pneumocephalus and 2) total intracranial complications.

Design: Retrospective review of a series of patients (n = 161) who underwent the transglabellar/subcranial approach to lesions of the anterior skull base between December 1995 and November 2009. A retrospective cohort (n = 45) underwent routine lumbar drain placement at the time of skull base surgery. The remainder of the series did not undergo routine perioperative lumbar drain placement.

Intervention: Transglabellar/subcranial surgical approach to the anterior skull base, with or without routine perioperative lumbar drain placement.

Results: Routine placement of perioperative lumbar drains was an independent predictor of tension pneumocephalus (P =.022, odds ratio = 11.22 [1.218-103.3]). In addition, this practice was also associated with an increased risk of intracranial complications overall (P =.025, odds ratio = 2.623 [1.104-6.233]).

Conclusion: Routine placement of perioperative lumbar drain may be associated with an increased risk of tension pneumocephalus and intracranial complications during surgery of the anterior cranial base.