Turkish Neurosurgery
Management of Dropped Skull Flaps
Mohamed AbdelFatah1
1Ain Shams University, Neurosurgery, Cairo,
DOI: 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.16986-16.1

Aim:This study discusses the causes, methods of prevention, and management of the disaster of a dropped skull flap.Material and Methods:This study retrospectively reviewed all incidents of dropped skull flaps in Ain-Shams University hospitals during a 10-year periodResults:Thirty one incidents of dropped skull flaps occurred from January 2004 to January 2014 out of more than 10,000 craniotomies. Follow-up period varied from 20 to 44 months. The bone flap was dropped while elevating the bone (n = 16), while drilling the bone on the operating table (n = 5), and during insertion of the bone flap (n = 10). Treatment included reinserting the skull flap after soaking it in povidone iodine and antibiotic solution (n = 17) or after autoclaving (n = 11), or discarding the skull flap and replacing it with a mesh cranioplasty in the same operation (n = 3). No bone or wound infection was noted during the follow-up period. Conclusion:Management of dropped skull flap is its prevention. Replacement of the skull flap, after decontamination, is an option that avoids the expense and time of cranioplasty.

Corresponding author : Mohamed AbdelFatah