Craniotomy and Craniectomy

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 05:32:08 +0000

http://www.nucleushealth.com/ - This 3D medical animation depicts two operations, called craniotomy and craniectomy, in which the skull is opened to access the brain. The normal anatomy of the skull and tissues surrounding the brain are shown, including arteries and veins. The animation lists the common reasons for these procedures, and briefly introduces intracranial pressure.

Video ID: ANH13109

Transcript:

Your doctor may recommend a craniotomy or a craniectomy procedure to treat a number of different brain diseases, injuries, or conditions.

Your skull is made of bone and serves as a hard, protective covering for your brain. Just inside your skull, three layers of tissue, called meninges, surround your brain. The thick, outermost layer is the dura mater. The middle tissue layer is the arachnoid mater and the innermost layer is the pia mater. Between the arachnoid mater and the pia mater is the subarachnoid space, which contains blood vessels and a clear fluid called cerebrospinal fluid. Blood vessels, called bridging veins, connect the surface of your brain with the dura mater. Other blood vessels, called cerebral arteries, bring blood to your brain.

Inside your skull, normal brain function requires a delicate balance of pressure between the blood in your blood vessels, the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds your brain, and your brain tissue. This is called normal intracranial pressure. Increased intracranial pressure may result from: brain tumors, head injuries, problems with your blood vessels, or infections in your brain or spinal cord. These conditions put pressure on your brain and may cause it to swell or change shape inside your skull, which can lead to serious brain injury.

Your doctor may recommend a craniotomy to remove: abnormal brain tissue, such as a brain tumor, a sample of tissue by biopsy, a blood clot, called a hematoma, excess cerebrospinal fluid, or pus from an infection, called an abscess.

A craniotomy may also be done to: relieve brain swelling,
stop bleeding, called a hemorrhage, repair abnormal blood vessels, repair skull fractures, or repair damaged meninges.

Finally, a craniotomy may also be done to: treat brain conditions, such as epilepsy, deliver medication to your brain, or implant a medical device, such as a deep brain stimulator.

The most common reason for a craniotomy is to remove a brain tumor.