Abstract
Ultra-early surgical treatments are expected to be established, in which the associated brain injury is minimized and a maximal volume of hematoma is removed shortly after onset with secure hemostasis. We developed a transparent guiding sheath and other surgical instruments for endoscopic surgery, and we established a novel surgical procedure in the ultra-early stage using those instruments. This procedure has the following characteristics : (1) the capability of burr hole opening under local anesthesia, (2) a transparent sheath improves the surgical field visualization of the parenchyma and the hematoma, (3) free-hand surgery without fixing an endoscope and a sheath to a frame facilitates three-dimensional operation, (4) the capability of secure hemostasis by electric coagulation (When bleeding from a perforating artery occurs, a suction tube is placed at the bleeding point and hemostasis is achieved by electric coagulation), (5) easy preparation of relatively simple surgical instruments. We have performed this procedure on 85 patients with intracerebral or intraventricular hemorrhage. Among these 85 patients, 24 patients received our treatment in the ultra-early stage, or within 3 hours after onset. The mean duration of surgery was 63 minutes, the mean hematoma reduction rate was 96%, and no perioperative hemorrhage with deterioration of symptoms and/or signs occurred. Thus, we believe that endoscopic hematoma evacuation with our surgical procedure is a promising ultra-early-stage treatment for intracerebral hemorrhage, and that it may improve the long-term prognosis of patents with intracerebral hemorrhage.
