Strokectomy in Malignant Cerebral Media Infarction

Decompressive hemicraniectomy (DC) is the standard procedure and life saving measure in case of malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction. However, there have been several studies reporting the neuroinflammatory cascade based on the necrotic tissue as one of the leading cause for the secondary brain damage, wherefore, strokectomy with resection of necrotic tissue has been proposed in some case series as an alternative surgical option. Thus, the aim of this study is to perform a pilot study by including patients with malignant MCA infarction and to check the feasibility of this specific surgical treatment.