Neurosurgery and post-surgical care of the critically ill cancer patients: Craniotomy and stereotactic biopsy

The etiology of brain tumors is not totally understood, but several studies are under progress trying to establish possible risk factors as well as a potential linkage with environmental changes and lifestyle. Brain tumors can be primary, which means they start in the brain, or can be secondary, also called metastatic, which means they are tumors with origin in other organs that have spread to the brain. Most brain tumors are secondary, or metastatic. Knowing the origin of the primary cancer is important, because it gives us information about tumor behavior and delineates the best course of treatment. Treatment modalities for brain tumors include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, with the best results obtained when a multimodality approach is delivered. Advances in imaging technology offer fast and accurate diagnosis, intraoperative guidance, and optimal treatment evaluation. Consequently, health care providers are faced with the responsibility and challenge of staying current on emerging techniques and treatments in order to deliver the best patient care possible. This chapter provides nurses, residents, and all medical providers with important information about brain tumors and neurosurgery, specifically craniotomies, and includes the anesthetic techniques that are commonly utilized during the most common neurosurgical procedures.