Outcomes and complications for individual neurosurgeons for the treatment of Chiari I malformation at a children’s hospital

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes and complications for individual surgeons at British Columbia Children’s Hospital for the treatment of Chiari I Malformation (CMI) in children. Methods This was a retrospective review of patients with CMI who had surgery from 1986 to 2015. We assessed the Chicago Chiari Outcome Scores (CCOS) and complication rates by surgeon. Results Seventy patients, 38 males and 32 females, underwent posterior fossa decompression including 14 extradural and 56 intradural approaches. Syringomyelia was present in 74.3%. Most syringomyelia improved with no difference between intradural and extradural surgeries. After initial surgery, 13 patients (18.6%) had complications including 2/14 (14.3%) of extradural and 11/56 (19.6%) of intradural surgeries. Two patients required surgical intervention for complications whereas 11 had transient complications. The complication rate by surgeon ranged from 11 to 20% for extradural (2 surgeons only) and 10.5 to 40% for intradural surgeries (4 surgeons). The CCOS ranged from 12 to 15 for extradural and 6 to 16 for intradural. The CCOS ranges for surgeons 1 and 2 were 12–15 and 13–15 respectively for extradural. The CCOS ranges for surgeons 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 12–16, 6–15, 12–16, and 12–16 respectively for intradural. Thirteen patients had a second surgery for CMI. The final CCOS was good in 86% and moderate in 14%. Conclusion There was variability in surgeries performed at BCCH by different surgeons, with variations in CCOS and complication rates. This information is important during decision making, consent process, and for quality improvement.