Background: Surgical removal of a vestibular schwannoma is a complex and challenging procedure, which may be complicated by development of postoperative hematomas, particularly after incomplete resection of the tumor.
Objective: To investigate the occurrence of postoperative intra- or peritumoral hematomas after surgery for a vestibular schwannoma.
Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 49 patients (age range 17-78 years) with a vestibular schwannoma, who were treated surgically via the lateral suboccipital approach between 2011 and 2016. The tumors ranged in size from 0 mm (in a case of an intracanalicular lesion) to 56 mm. In 30 cases (61%), total or near-total resection was accomplished, and in 19 cases (39%), subtotal or partial resection was done. On the basis of their bleeding tendency during tumor removal, the patients were divided into a "less-bleeding" (38 cases; 78%) and a "more-bleeding" (11 cases; 22%) subgroups.
Results: A maximal vestibular schwannoma diameter >30 mm, patient age >60 years, and more bleeding during tumor removal were significantly associated with incomplete (subtotal or partial) resection. In six cases (12%), serial computed tomography after surgery demonstrated a postoperative hematoma, which was caused by insufficient irrigation of the surgical field (in two cases) or resulted from peritumoral hemorrhage (in two cases), intratumoral hemorrhage (in one case), or both intra- and peritumoral hemorrhage (in one case). The latter patient required urgent reoperation. In all cases, postoperative hematomas occurred after incomplete (subtotal or partial) resection of a vestibular schwannoma, and their development was significantly associated with more bleeding during tumor removal.
Conclusion: For avoidance of postoperative hematomas, careful hemostasis is required after completion of vestibular schwannoma removal, especially in cases with incomplete resection and an excessive bleeding tendency of the tumor tissue.
Keywords: Complication; Postoperative hematoma; Risk factors; Surgery; Vestibular schwannoma.
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