Can the skull bone be reattached after a craniotomy?

Generally, whether the skull can be reattached after a craniotomy mainly depends on the specific medical condition. If there is no significant brain swelling and intracranial pressure is not high, the skull can usually be reattached. However, if there is obvious brain swelling and elevated intracranial pressure, the skull may not be reattached. The detailed explanation is as follows:

If, prior to surgery, the patient does not have severe brain swelling and the increase in intracranial pressure is not particularly serious, the primary goal of the surgery is typically to address intracranial lesions, such as tumor removal or hematoma evacuation. In such cases, the skull can usually be reattached after the operation. This approach neither increases pressure on the brain tissue nor affects surgical outcomes or the patient's recovery process.

If, before surgery, the patient has明显 brain tissue swelling and significantly increased intracranial pressure, the main purpose of the surgery is to reduce intracranial pressure and provide sufficient space for the brain to expand, thereby reducing the risk of adverse events later on. In these circumstances, the skull is generally not reattached, because replacing it could compromise the therapeutic effect and might even cause intracranial pressure to rise again, which would be detrimental to treatment.

After craniotomy, patients should follow their doctor's instructions to undergo regular head CT scans to monitor recovery progress, and should avoid strenuous physical activity to prevent increases in intracranial pressure.