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Adnan Hussain Shahid1, Mehdi Khaleghi1, Sudhir Suggala, Garrett Dyess, Maxon Basett, Danner Warren Butler, Asa Barnett, Ursula Hummel, Danielle Chason, Jai Deep Thakur
  1. Department of Neurosurgery, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States

Correspondence Address:
Jai Deep Thakur, Department of Neurosurgery, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama, United States.

DOI:10.25259/SNI_340_2025

Copyright: © 2025 Surgical Neurology International This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, transform, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.

How to cite this article: Adnan Hussain Shahid1, Mehdi Khaleghi1, Sudhir Suggala, Garrett Dyess, Maxon Basett, Danner Warren Butler, Asa Barnett, Ursula Hummel, Danielle Chason, Jai Deep Thakur. Endoscopic subdural membranectomy for multi-septated chronic subdural hematoma: Finding a safe solution when middle meningeal artery embolization is not feasible. 30-May-2025;16:214

How to cite this URL: Adnan Hussain Shahid1, Mehdi Khaleghi1, Sudhir Suggala, Garrett Dyess, Maxon Basett, Danner Warren Butler, Asa Barnett, Ursula Hummel, Danielle Chason, Jai Deep Thakur. Endoscopic subdural membranectomy for multi-septated chronic subdural hematoma: Finding a safe solution when middle meningeal artery embolization is not feasible. 30-May-2025;16:214. Available from: https://surgicalneurologyint.com/?post_type=surgicalint_articles&p=13581

Date of Submission
05-Apr-2025

Date of Acceptance
04-May-2025

Date of Web Publication
30-May-2025

Abstract

Background: Multi-septated chronic subdural hematoma (mCSDH) is a special type of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) that is characterized by a hematoma cavity separated by fibrous septa that hinders adequate drainage. Treatment of mCSDH using minimally invasive endoscopic-assisted techniques that may serve as an addition to the standard technique of burr-hole craniotomy drainage. No prior video on the nuances of endoscopic membranectomy (EM) has been described.

Case Description: In this surgical video, we present the case of an 82-year-old female who presented with symptoms of right-sided body weakness and progressive headaches following a ground-level fall a month prior. Computed tomography (CT) head imaging revealed a subacute CSDH overlying the left frontotemporal and parietal regions, measuring 2.4 cm in maximum diameter, with a 0.9 cm midline shift toward the right side and multiple internal septations. Middle meningeal artery embolization could not be performed due to vascular access limitations. The patient consented to the procedure, and a mini left frontoparietal craniotomy was performed with traditional evacuation of the hematoma. Further, a rigid short endoscope (Karl Storz) with a 0° and 30° high-definition lens was introduced into the subdural space. EM and meticulous septation lysis were performed by microscissors and endoscopic bipolar coagulation along with intermittent irrigation, allowing for the maximal drainage of the subdural hematoma (SDH), hemostasis of friable and bleeding membranes with membranectomy, thereby promoting brain expansion. The duration of surgery was 3.7 h. The patient showed immediate improvement in the postoperative period and was discharged home on postoperative day 3. The interval CT scan at 6 months showed no recurrence. IRB approval was not required per the institutional policy.

Conclusion: This video case presentation highlights that EM enhances intra-operative visualization, identification, and division of neo membranes or solid clots under direct vision, helping to prevent recurrence and rebleeding. Judicious use of diluted peroxide, bipolar coagulation, SURGIFLO®, and fibrin glue effectively controls bleeding. A rigid 30° endoscope aids in visualizing blind spots and bridging vein attachments, ensuring complete SDH evacuation. By adapting techniques over time, we have improved both patient outcomes by minimizing bleeding and operational effectiveness from aggressively peeling membranes off the dura, which could trigger bleeding, to focusing on lysis of unstable, hemorrhagic membranes while preserving thinner, non-bleeding ones. For distant membranous bleeds, SURGIFLO® and fibrin glue are sufficient, and aggressive lysis in the para-sagittal and parieto-occipital posterior areas is avoided.

Keywords: Chronic SDH, Endoscopy, Multi-septated, Subdural Membranectomy

Video 1


Annotations[1-7]

Endoscopic subdural membranectomy for multi-septated chronic subdural hematoma

000:14 – Clinical presentation

0.00:38 - Preoperative neuroimaging

0.01:14 – Rational for the procedure

0.01:37 – Potential benefits and risks of the procedure

02.23 – Alternatives and reasons such approaches were not chosen

03:16 – Procedure set up

03:34 – Surgical steps

04:07 – Frontoparietal mini-craniotomy

04:16 – Coagulation of septa

04:55 – Cutting of septa

05:18 – Coagulation of outer subdural membrane

06:49 – Coagulation of the inner subdural membrane

07:04 – Peeling of inner subdural membrane

07:30 – Hemostasis

08:07 – Final inspection

08:13 – Disease background

09:19 – Clinical

Ethical approval:

The Institutional Review Board approval is not required.

Declaration of patient consent:

The authors certify that they have obtained all appropriate patient consent.

Financial support and sponsorship:

Nil.

Conflicts of interest:

There are no conflicts of interest.

Use of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technology for manuscript preparation:

The authors confirm that there was no use of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technology for assisting in the writing or editing of the manuscript, and no images were manipulated using AI.

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Journal or its management. The information contained in this article should not be considered to be medical advice; patients should consult their own physicians for advice as to their specific medical needs.

References

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2. Hellwig D, Kuhn TJ, Bauer BL, List-Hellwig E. Endoscopic treatment of septated chronic subdural hematoma. Surg Neurol. 1996. 45: 272-7

3. Karakhan VB. Experience using intracranial endoscopy in neurologic traumatology. Vestn Khir Im I I Grek. 1988. 140: 102-8

4. Rocchi G, Caroli E, Salvati M, Delfini R. Membranectomy in organized chronic subdural hematomas: indications and technical notes. Surg Neurol. 2007. 67: 374-80

5. Rodziewicz GS, Chuang WC. Endoscopic removal of organized chronic subdural hematoma. Surg Neurol. 1995. 43: 569-73

6. Sahyouni R, Mahboubi H, Tran P, Roufail JS, Chen JW. Membranectomy in chronic subdural hematoma: Meta-analysis. World Neurosurg. 2017. 104: 418-29

7. Wu L, Guo X, Ou Y, Yu X, Zhu B, Yang C. Efficacy analysis of neuroendoscopy-assisted burr-hole evacuation for chronic subdural hematoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosurg Rev. 2023. 46: 98

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