Template-Guided Burr-Hole Drainage With Middle Meningeal Artery Coagulation for Chronic Subdural Hematoma

Overview

Chronic subdural hematoma is a collection of blood and fluid on the surface of the brain that is common in older adults. Burr-hole drainage is a standard surgical treatment, but the hematoma may come back in some patients and require another procedure.This study will test whether using a patient-specific 3D-printed template to guide burr-hole placement, combined with coagulation of the middle meningeal artery during surgery, can reduce the risk of hematoma recurrence compared with standard burr-hole drainage.Participants with symptomatic chronic subdural hematoma who need surgery will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive standard burr-hole drainage. The other group will receive 3D-printed template-guided burr-hole drainage with attempted intraoperative frontal branch of the middle meningeal artery coagulation when it can be safely performed.The main outcome is whether the hematoma comes back and requires another invasive treatment within 3 months after surgery. The study will also assess brain imaging results, neurological recovery, complications, hospital stay, and the feasibility and safety of the 3D-printed template and artery coagulation procedure.

Chronic subdural hematoma is a common neurosurgical disease, especially in older adults. Burr-hole drainage with closed-system drainage is widely used as standard surgical treatment. However, recurrence after surgery remains an important clinical problem and may require repeat invasive treatment. The middle meningeal artery is believed to contribute to the blood supply of the outer membrane of chronic subdural hematoma. Interruption of middle meningeal artery flow may reduce repeated microbleeding and fluid exudation from the hematoma membrane. Endovascular middle meningeal artery embolization has shown promising results, but it requires angiographic equipment, interventional expertise, embolic materials, and additional cost. This study evaluates a surgical strategy that combines patient-specific 3D-printed template guidance with burr-hole drainage and intraoperative middle meningeal artery coagulation. Preoperative thin-slice computed tomography images will be used to plan the burr-hole location and design a 3D-printed template. The template is intended to help surgeons locate a burr-hole site related to the expected course of the middle meningeal artery(frontal branch) while still allowing effective hematoma drainage. Participants with symptomatic chronic subdural hematoma requiring burr-hole drainage will be randomly assigned to receive either standard burr-hole drainage or 3D-printed template-guided burr-hole drainage with attempted intraoperative middle meningeal artery coagulation when safely feasible. The study will test whether this approach can reduce recurrence requiring repeat invasive treatment within 3 months after surgery. It will also assess clinical recovery, radiological changes, complications, resource use, and the feasibility and safety of template-guided localization and intraoperative artery coagulation.Patient safety will take priority over completion of the coagulation step. If the middle meningeal artery or a related branch cannot be clearly identified or safely coagulated during surgery, coagulation will not be performed, and standard hematoma drainage will be completed.