Surgical Strategies for Giant Pituitary Adenomas to Minimize Postoperative Hematoma Formation

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Postoperative hematoma formation is one of the most life-threatening complications associated with giant pituitary adenomas, and various surgical methods have been proposed to mitigate this risk. This study aims to report our surgical outcomes in patients with giant pituitary adenomas and to identify risk factors associated with postoperative hematoma formation. We retrospectively reviewed 45 patients with giant pituitary adenomas who underwent surgical treatment. The surgical approaches included conventional transsphenoidal surgery in 24 patients, extended transsphenoidal surgery in 9, and simultaneous combined transsphenoidal surgery and transcranial surgery in 12. Intracapsular resection was performed in 28 patients, while extracapsular resection was carried out in 17 patients. Postoperative hematoma formation was observed in 17 patients; among them, 2 experienced neurological deterioration and subsequently required reoperation for hematoma evacuation. The mean maximum tumor diameter was significantly larger in patients with postoperative hematoma (54 mm) compared to those without (45.3 mm) (p = 0.008). Other tumor characteristics were not significantly associated with postoperative hematoma formation. Combined transsphenoidal surgery and transcranial surgery were more frequently performed in patients who developed postoperative hematoma (p = 0.007), whereas extracapsular resection was more common in those without hematoma (p = 0.001). However, these differences in postoperative hemorrhage incidence among surgical techniques may have been substantially influenced by selection bias. Giant pituitary adenomas with extensive intracranial extension and involvement of critical neurovascular structures remain challenging to manage regardless of the surgical approach. Nevertheless, it is essential to tailor surgical strategies to individual cases to minimize postoperative complications.