Risk of postoperative scalp necrosis in the occipital artery region after posterior cranial fossa surgery

Ischemia-induced postoperative scalp necrosis in the superficial temporal artery (STA) region is known to occur after STA-middle cerebral artery anastomoses. However, no reports have evaluated the risk of postoperative scalp necrosis in the occipital artery (OA) region. This study examined the surgical procedures that pose a risk for postoperative scalp necrosis in the OA region following posterior cranial fossa surgery. Patients who underwent initial posterior fossa craniotomy at our institution from 2015 to 2022 were included. Clinical information was collected using medical records. Regarding surgical procedures, we evaluated the incision design and whether a supramuscular scalp flap was prepared. The supramuscular scalp flap was defined as a scalp flap dissected from the sternocleidomastoid and/or splenius capitis muscles. A total of 392 patients were included. Postoperative scalp necrosis occurred in 19 patients (4.8%). There were 296 patients with supramuscular scalp flaps, and supramuscular scalp flaps prepared in all 19 patients with postoperative necrosis. Comparing incision designs among patients with supramuscular scalp flap, a hockey stick-shaped scalp incision caused postoperative necrosis in 14 of 73 patients (19.1%), and the odds of postoperative scalp necrosis were higher with the hockey stick shape than with the retro-auricular C shape (adjusted odds ratio: 12.2, 95% confidence interval: 3.86–38.3, p = 0.00002). In all the cases, ischemia was considered to be the cause of postoperative necrosis. The incidence of postoperative necrosis is particularly high when a hockey stick-shaped scalp incision is combined with a supramuscular scalp flap.