A craniotomy may be done for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, the following: Diagnosing, removing, or treating brain tumors. Clipping or repairing of an aneurysm. Removing blood or blood clots from a leaking blood vessel.
When is a craniotomy performed?
A craniotomy may be small or large depending on the problem. It may be performed to treat brain tumors, hematomas (blood clots), aneurysms or AVMs, traumatic head injury, foreign objects (bullets), swelling of the brain, or infection.
What are the indications for craniotomy?
Indications
- Clipping of cerebral aneurysm (both ruptured and unruptured)
- Resection of arteriovenous malformation (AVM)
- Resection of brain tumor.
- Biopsy of abnormal brain tissue.
- Removal of brain abscess.
- Evacuation of hematoma (eg, epidural, subdural, and intracerebral)
