Abstract
Decompressive craniectomy is a standard neurosurgical procedure in which part of the skull is removed, duratomy and duraplasty are performed to allow a swelling brain to expand and normalize an intracranial pressure. It is the recommended procedure for patients with malignant hemispheric infarction and in cases of severe traumatic brain injury with intracranial hypertension (level of evidence I).
Intracranial pressure monitoring is an integral part of all types of decompressive procedures.