Voges Jürgen, Hilker Rüdiger, Bötzel Kai, Kiening Karl L, Kloss Manja, Kupsch Andreas, Schnitzler Alfons, Schneider Gerd-Helge, Steude Ulrich, Deuschl Günther, Pinsker Markus O
Departments of Neurology and Stereotactic and Functional Neurology, Albertus-Magnus University, Köln, Germany.
Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, München, Germany.
Mov Disord. 2007 Jul 30;22(10):1486-1489. doi: 10.1002/mds.21481.
Serious adverse events (SAEs) during the first 30 postoperative days after stereotactic surgery for Deep-Brain-Stimulation performed in 1,183 patients were retrospectively collected from five German stereotactic centers. The mortality rate was 0.4% and causes for death were pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, hepatopathy, and a case of complicated multiple sclerosis. The permanent surgical morbidity rate was 1%. The most frequently observed SAEs were intracranial hemorrhage (2.2%) and pneumonia (0.6%). Skin infection occurred in 5 of 1,183 patients (0.4%). Surgical complications caused secondary AEs (e.g. pneumonia) preferentially in older patients and in patients treated for Parkinson's disease (PD). Complication rates did not differ among the five centers.