Minimally invasive neurosurgery: application of burr-hole technique across a spectrum of brain lesions

Objective: The burr-hole technique is a minimally invasive transcranial approach designed to minimize the surgical incision size and reduce disruption to brain tissue. We aimed to share our experience with the burr-hole technique for removing brain lesions and to evaluate its effectiveness in treating appropriately sized intra-axial brain lesions.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed the clinical features, radiological characteristics, surgical techniques, and outcomes of patients who underwent burr-hole surgery for intra-axial brain lesions between January 2019 and December 2023.

Results: A total of 81 patients were included in the study. Gross total resection was achieved in 74 patients (91.4%), whereas subtotal resection was performed in 7 patients (8.6%). There were no perioperative deaths, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, or wound infections. The median follow-up duration was 40.5 months (range, 4.1-63.7 months). At the end of the follow-up period, 14 patients (17.3%) experienced recurrence, including 6 with glioma and 8 with primary cerebral lymphoma. Among these patients, 10 died due to lesion recurrence.

Conclusions: The burr-hole approach using a retractable tubular device is a safe and effective method for the removal of brain lesions. As a novel minimally invasive technique, it significantly facilitates and accelerates the evolution of microsurgical outcomes.