Craniotomy in Nursing Practice: Perioperative Care, Neurologic Monitoring, and Patient Safety
Background: Craniotomy is a cornerstone neurosurgical procedure that provides direct access to intracranial structures for treating tumors, vascular lesions, trauma, and infections. Despite technological advances, it remains a high-risk intervention requiring meticulous planning and multidisciplinary coordination. Aim: To review craniotomy in nursing practice, emphasizing perioperative care, neurologic monitoring, and patient safety. Methods: This narrative review synthesizes historical evolution, anatomical considerations, indications, contraindications, equipment, personnel roles, preparation, surgical technique, complications, and postoperative management. Sources include contemporary neurosurgical literature and evidence-based nursing guidelines. Results: Craniotomy techniques have evolved from ancient trephination to modern neuronavigation-assisted approaches. Indications span trauma, neoplasms, vascular disorders, and functional neurosurgery. Contraindications are rare but include severe systemic instability and coagulopathy. Nursing interventions are critical across all phases: preoperative optimization, intraoperative sterility and monitoring, and postoperative surveillance for complications such as hemorrhage, infection, and electrolyte imbalance. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) principles and interprofessional collaboration improve outcomes. Conclusion: Craniotomy remains indispensable for managing complex intracranial pathology. Success depends on anatomical precision, technological integration, and coordinated perioperative care. Nursing professionals play a pivotal role in ensuring safety, reducing complications, and supporting recovery through structured protocols and interdisciplinary teamwork.
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