The lives of patients with brain injuries are saved thanks to an ancient Egyptian-style operation that involves drilling a hole in their skull to reduce swelling
- Dating back to the time of the pharaohs, Op could save thousands suffering brain injuries every year
- It involves making a hole in the skull to relieve swelling and pressure on the brain – in a process similar to that used by the ancient Egyptians as a religious ritual
- The study found that patients who undergo surgery — decompression craniectomy — are one-fifth more likely to survive than those who receive standard medication
Pharaonic-era surgery could save thousands suffering brain injuries each year.
It involves drilling a hole in the skull to relieve swelling and pressure on the brain, in a process similar to that used by the ancient Egyptians as a religious ritual.
A new study has found that patients undergoing an operation called decompressive craniectomy are one-fifth more likely to survive than patients receiving standard medication.
Professor Peter Hutchinson, consultant neurosurgeon at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, who led the study, said: “There is no doubt that the operation can save lives.”
Pharaonic-era surgery could save thousands suffering brain injuries each year. It involves drilling a hole in the skull to relieve swelling and pressure on the brain, in a process similar to that used by the ancient Egyptians as a religious ritual
Around 160,000 Britons are hospitalized each year with brain injuries, often caused by road accidents and falls.
When the brain is injured, fluid can build up in the skull, creating pressure that can restrict blood supply. Eventually, brain cells begin to die, leading to memory loss, paralysis, and even death.
Patients are usually treated with medications, but when those don’t work, doctors may opt for a procedure called a ventriculostomy, in which a tube is inserted through a hole in the skull to drain excess fluid.
Around 160,000 Britons are hospitalized each year with brain injuries, often caused by road accidents and falls
A craniectomy involves making a larger 5-inch hole in the back of the skull and removing part of the membrane surrounding the brain, immediately reducing pressure.
The skin is then sewn back over the hole. Once the injury has healed, the hole in the skull is covered with a titanium plate.
Previous research suggested that decompression craniectomy carried a high risk of leaving patients disabled, but in a new study of 408 patients published in the journal JAMA Neurology, patients who underwent craniectomy had a 21 percent increase more likely to survive two years than those treated with drugs and were more likely to have a good recovery.
Russell Ramplin, 42, from Ipswich, had a craniectomy in 2020 after a motorcycle accident. He has since made an almost full recovery and earlier this year the missing part of his skull was replaced with a titanium plate at Addenbrooke.
He says: “I’m back on my feet. I have a job, an apartment and no pain.
“It saved my life. I’m sure it could save others.”
