Surgical intervention in traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis of decompressive craniotomy

BACKGROUND: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is considered a major cause of death globally, resulting from trauma. Decompressive craniectomy (DC) may improve functional outcomes in patients with TBI and its associated complications. This study was designed to determine safety and efficacy of DC in improving clinical outcomes in TBI patients compared to standard therapy. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted across six electronic databases to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining decompressive craniotomy (DC) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) from database inception until March 2021. The pooled risk ratio was estimated for categorical outcomes, while the pooled standardized mean difference with a 95% confidence interval was calculated for continuous outcomes. Statistical analysis software, including RevMan 5.4 and STATA version 17, was employed to perform this meta-analysis. The protocol for this study is registered with the OSF registry, ensuring transparency and reproducibility. RESULTS: A total of 656 studies were screened, and five RCTs involving 665 subjects (334 in the DC group and 331 in the control group) were included in this meta-analysis. Our meta-analysis revealed a non-significant trend towards a higher rate of favorable clinical outcomes in subjects who underwent DC compared to those in the medical treatment (MT) group (risk ratio (RR) 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70 to 2.08, P = 0.50). In contrast, the mortality rate was significantly lower in patients treated with DC compared to those receiving MT alone (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.47 to 0.73, P < 0.001). Additionally, intracranial pressure (ICP) levels were significantly lower in subjects who underwent DC compared to those receiving MT alone (standardized mean difference (SMD): - 0.87, 95% CI - 1.58 to - 0.16, P = 0.02). Furthermore, there was a statistically significant reduction in the duration of stay in the DC group compared to the MT alone group (SMD: - 1.18, 95% CI - 1.49 to - 0.86, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study presents evidence suggesting that DC is linked to a lower mortality rate, decreased ICP, and shorter hospital stays among patients with moderate to severe TBI. However, it did not show a significant impact on improving favorable clinical outcomes.