Which statement about craniectomy is true?

Which statement about craniectomy is true?

• A. It is performed with immediate bone flap replacement after surgery.
• B. The procedure involves removing a portion of skull without replacement.
• C. It creates burr holes to drain CSF.
• D. It replaces part of the skull with an artificial plate.

Answer: (B)

Decompressive craniectomy is about removing a portion of the skull to give swollen brain room to expand and to lower intracranial pressure, and that bone is not replaced during the initial procedure. This makes the statement true: a portion of the skull is removed without replacement. In contrast, a craniotomy involves temporarily removing a bone flap to access the brain but replacing that bone at the end of the procedure. Replacing the skull with an artificial plate describes cranioplasty, which is usually done later, after initial decompression or after healing. Draining CSF with burr holes is a separate procedure (burr hole or ventriculostomy) and is not the same as craniectomy.

Decompressive craniectomy is about removing a portion of the skull to give swollen brain room to expand and to lower intracranial pressure, and that bone is not replaced during the initial procedure. This makes the statement true: a portion of the skull is removed without replacement.

In contrast, a craniotomy involves temporarily removing a bone flap to access the brain but replacing that bone at the end of the procedure. Replacing the skull with an artificial plate describes cranioplasty, which is usually done later, after initial decompression or after healing. Draining CSF with burr holes is a separate procedure (burr hole or ventriculostomy) and is not the same as craniectomy.