The Role of Lumbar Drains in the Perioperative Management of Primary Spontaneous Temporal Lobe Encephaloceles and Cerebrospinal Fluid Leaks.

Objective: To examine the role of lumbar drains (LDs) in the success of spontaneous temporal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak and encephalocele repair.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary academic health system.

Patients: Patients undergoing repair of spontaneous temporal lobe encephaloceles or middle fossa CSF leaks during years 2017 to 2023.

Interventions: Transmastoid, middle fossa craniotomy, or combination approaches to CSF leak repair.

Outcome Measures: Failure rate, complication rate, length of stay (LOS), readmission.

Results: Sixty-nine patients were included, with a combination approach performed in 78.3%, transmastoid in 17.4%, and isolated middle fossa craniotomy in 4.3%. Mean body mass index was 33.2, mean bony defect size width was 6.51 mm, and defect locations included the epitympanum, antrum, mastoid, and petrous apex. Multilayer closure with three or more layers was performed in 87.0%. LD was used in 73.9% of cases for a mean duration 2.27 days and was associated with longer LOS (3.27 vs. 1.56 d, p = 0.006) but not with failure rate, complications, discharge destination, or readmission. Only one major complication occurred as a result of the drain, but low-pressure headache was anecdotally common.

Conclusions: Use of LD in the repair of spontaneous CSF leaks and temporal lobe encephaloceles is associated with longer LOS but not failure rates or other admission-level outcomes.