Stainless steel wire mesh cranioplasty: ten years' experience with 183 patients (100 followed up).

We have executed 183 cranioplasties in order to repair cranial defects using stainless steel wire mesh over a period of a decade, using Gardner's technique with minor modifications. The follow-up was possible in 100 patients and it ranged from 4 to 134 months, with an average of 64.1 months (5.3 years). Among these, 8 patients developed postoperative complications (8%): 7 needed cranioplasty remotion (7%) and 1 needed cranioplasty revision without remotion (1%). The causes of morbidity were due to: infection (3%), CSF leak (1%), haematoma (1%), skin local soaking (1%), posttraumatic plastic dislodgement (2%). Our total morbidity rate (8%) may compare with that resulting from the use of different materials such as alloplastics (6-12%), osteoplastics (until 40%) and miscellaneous (5.5%). The group in which cranioplasty was done within six months following the first operation had our highest complication rate (18.2%). In our experience the stainless steel wire mesh was shown to be an effective material to repair cranial defects.