Awake focussed craniotomy for oedematous/large brain lesions

Aim: Awake craniotomy has been proven to be safe and effective. It has generally been used for non-edematous conditions. If done in edematous states, large craniotomies are advised. Here, we report the combined use of techniques of awake anaesthesia and focussed craniotomy for dealing with large/edematous brain lesions. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective single-centre study from May to October 2019. Included were adult cooperative patients presenting with edematous brain lesions. A completely awake cycle was used using ring scalp block, Dexmedetomidine loading, and maintenance infusion, and use of Midazolam and Fentanyl. The dural flap was lifted limited to the lesion, and sometimes in stages to tackle the bulging brain. Data was collected for resection volume, pain scores using visual analogue scale (VAS) during the surgery, seizures, complications, new deficits, blood loss, duration of surgery, ICU, and postoperative hospital stay. Results: Fifteen patients underwent the procedure. Pathologies were high-grade gliomas (7), low-grade gliomas (3), tuberculoma (2), metastasis (1), ependymoma (1), and meningioma (1). Fourteen patients underwent total, and one underwent subtotal excision. Brain bulge could be handled with the staged opening of the dura and intratumoral decompression. No patient required postoperative ventilatory support. Intraoperative pain scores ranged from 2-3. The duration of surgery ranged from 60-280min. Blood loss ranged from 75-300ml. Postoperative stay varied from 3-20 days. There were two intraoperative seizures (managed), two CSF leaks, and two infections. Two patients developed transitory motor deficits. Conclusion: Awake focussed craniotomy was found safe and effective for large/edematous brain lesions in appropriately selected patients.