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Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Brain Surgery - Craniotomy

Overview & Description

A craniotomy is a type of surgery done to open part of the skull, or cranium. This procedure is needed when a person has a condition or injury that affects the brain, its tissues, or its blood vessels.

Who is a candidate for the procedure?

A craniotomy allows the surgeon to do the following:

remove a lesion, such as a brain tumor

remove a blood clot, such as a chronic subdural hematoma

repair a leaking blood vessel, known as an cerebral aneurysm

remove an abnormal collection of blood vessels, known as arteriovenous malformation, or AVM

drain a pocket of pus, also called a brain abscess

repair skull fractures caused by a head injury

repair a tear in the membrane lining the brain

relieve pressure within the brain, which is also called increased intracranial pressure

How is the procedure performed?

A craniotomy is performed under general anesthesia. This means the person is put to sleep with medication and cannot feel any pain. The hair on part or all of the scalp is shaved. An incision is made in the scalp over the area of the suspected condition or disorder. A flap of the bone is cut away from the skull and set aside during the surgery. The disorder is located and treated. The bone flap is replaced, and the scalp is closed with sutures or clips.

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