Statistics/Outcomes


A retrospective chart review was completed comparing thirty patients who underwent subcranial resection (Group I) to thirty patients treated through the standard frontal craniotomy and lateral rhinotomy (Group II) approach at the University of Michigan. All surgical procedures in Groups I and II were performed by senior surgeons experienced in both approaches between 1994 and 1996. Group I included patients with a distribution of 18 malignant and 12 benign tumors. Group II included patients with 14 malignant and 16 benign tumors. The two groups were not formally matched but represented comparable study populations in terms of age, sex, socioeconomic background, tumor stage, and general health status. Blood loss, complication rate, operative time, ICU length of stay, and total hospital stay data were compared for the two groups.

Group Blood Loss (ml) Complication Rate (%)
I

II 		520

567 		3.0

6.6

Table I. Comparison of Blood and Complication Rate
 I = Subcranial Group
II = Frontal Craniotomy / Lateral Rhinotomy Group


Group Range Operative Time
(hours) Average 		Median
I

II 		3-10

8-13.75 		5.9

9.5 		6.5

10.0

Table 2. Comparison of Operative Time
 I = Subcranial Group
II = Frontal Craniotomy / Lateral Rhinotomy Group


Group Range ICU Length of Stay
(days) Average 		Median
I

II 		0-5

2-14 		0.97

4.2 		0.2

4.0

Table 3. Comparison of ICU Length of Stay
 I = Subcranial Group
II = Frontal Craniotomy / Lateral Rhinotomy Group


Group Range Hospital Stay
(days) Average 		Median
I

II 		3-13

7-14 		5.26

10.6 		4.0

7.0

Table 4. Comparison of Hospital Stay
 I = Subcranial Group
II = Frontal Craniotomy / Lateral Rhinotomy Group


DRG
Description 		1994
HCFA
ALOS 		1994
UHC
ALOS 		1994
BCBSM
ALOS 		1994
HCIA
West 		1994
HCIA
NC 		UMMC
Craniotomy
Age > 17
Except for
Trauma
(days) 		10.5 9.8 14 8.7 10.3 5.3

Table 5. Average Length of Stay by DRG

Key: DRG - diagnostic related group,
ALOS - average length of stay,
HCFA - Health Care Finance Administration,
UHC - University Hospital Consortium,
BCBSM - Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan,
HCIA - Health Care Insurance Association,
UMMC - University of Michigan Medical Center