Timing of cranioplasty

Patients were retrospectively grouped into either the ultra-early cohort (CP performed <30 days post-DC) or the conventional cohort (CP performed >30 days post-DC). The decision on whether to perform the CP either <30 or >30 days at our institution was dictated by the patients' clinical status. Primary factors incorporated into the clinical decision making of our neurosurgeons included improvement in Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at the time of admission to the day of the proposed CP, improvement in functional neurological status, and, importantly, reduction in cerebral edema, particularly at the site of the DC.