Just wondering, since I'm in medicine and have absolutely no experience in this area, how complicated is it in general to do a brain biopsy (cerebellar mass)? Can this be done without having to do a craniotomy? Is it generally a high risk procedure? any help would be appreciated...
How hard is it and what are complications of doing a cerebellar biopsy?
- Thread starter nope80
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2007
- Messages
- 241
- Reaction score
- 1
Can't comment on the risks but usually done with a small incision and a burr hole with a stereotactic frame. There is no bone flap or large incision.
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2011
- Messages
- 19
- Reaction score
- 0
While I won't tell you any official numbers or advice on sdn (although I think there are some pretty good figures in the literature), I will tell you that I have heard from the guy that invented the stereotactic biopsy that he has had only one emergent bone flap during such a procedure (I'm not sure where the location of that biopsy was) in his entire career. This could obviously vary with someone who doesn't have good judgment, doesn't have good image guidance, ect ect. Generally it's thought of as a very safe procedure, although most surgeons will start sweating when blood keeps coming out and they're waiting for it to stop.
