Postoperative Neurosurgical Patients

High-quality postoperative management of neurosurgical patients is of paramount importance. Some of the common postoperative complications include infection, hematoma, and neurologic deficit. The complications and their presentation depend on the type of surgery and the individual patient characteristics. Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage has a unique set of complications including seizure, hydrocephalus, hyponatremia, and vasospasm. Complications following posterior fossa surgery are possibly the most dangerous as patients can deteriorate and progress to brain death within minutes. Postoperative edema and hemorrhage after brain tumor surgery should always be considered, especially in partially resected GBMs. Surgery in the sellar region also has its own set of unique postoperative complications including visual disturbances and hypothalamic-pituitary malfunction. Shunts have a high rate of malfunction and infection, and shunt failure should always be considered in symptomatic patients. Patients who have undergone carotid revascularization are at risk for stroke and reperfusion syndrome. Prevention and treatment of postoperative complications are important for all providers taking care of neurosurgical patients. One of the most important factors is good communication between services and providers.