Complications in Staged Late Titanium Cranioplasty and Ventriculoperitoneal Shunting for Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury.

Background: Hydrocephalus is a common complication following decompressive craniectomy. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) is required for some patients before receiving a cranioplasty (CP). The presence of a VPS is regarded as a risk factor for overall CP complications.

Methods: A retrospective survey was conducted on 176 patients with traumatic brain injury who underwent late (>3 months) titanium CP (Ti-CP) in our hospital from April 2014 to July 2018. Thirteen patients (7.4%) had preoperative VPS. Propensity score matching was performed for these 13 patients with a ratio of 1:5. A total of 78 patients were selected. Preoperative clinical parameters and postoperative complications were analyzed. The period of postoperative follow-up ranged from 3 to 63 months (mean 21.3 ± 17.0 months).

Results: The overall complication rate was greater in the VPS group (P = 0.010). These patients were more likely to develop a sunken skin flap (P < 0.001). The rate of postoperative cerebral hemorrhage was greater in the VPS group. Logistic analysis showed that preoperative VPS was an independent risk factor for postoperative extradural collection (odds ratio 17.714, P < 0.001). VPS was not related to postoperative infection and seizure. Postoperative drainage duration longer than 2.5 days significantly increased the risk of postoperative infection (odds ratio 7.715, P = 0.023).

Conclusions: The presence of a VPS significantly increased the risk of extradural collection in patients with traumatic brain injury who underwent late Ti-CP. It also was related to postoperative hemorrhage. The sunken skin flap in patients with VPS increased surgical difficulty and the likelihood of extradural accumulation. Preoperative VPS was not related to postoperative infection and seizure in Ti-CP.