Complications following Pediatric Posterior Fossa Tumors Surgery

Objective: The goal of this study was to identify complications postoperatively occurring after posterior fossa tumor surgery in the pediatric population. Methods: A retrospective review of cases of children under 15 years who underwent surgery for Posterior fossa tumors was conducted. Documented complications arising in the postoperative phase, in-hospital mortality rates, their management, and the patient’s general well-being were tracked till discharge. Complications were categorized based on a contracted version of the original Clavien-Dindo system, a system that was specifically designed for ranking the severity of surgical complications. Results: 64.5% of males and 35.4% of females have a mean age of 9.22 ± 1.7 years. Between the onset of symptoms and the diagnosis, the average duration of time was 42.3 ± 12.8 days. The number of medulloblastoma cases was 19 and 11 cases each of ependymoma and pilocytic astrocytoma. Overall, the mean duration of stay was 8.1 ± 3.9 days. Hydrocephalous and CSF leaks from incision sites were the most frequent postop compilations, accounting for 58.3% of all the complications. Other complications reported were wound site infections in 12.5% of cases, peri-tumor edema in 16.6%, cerebellar mutism in 10.41%, tumor bed bleeds in 6.2%, and hospital-acquired pneumonia in 5.3% of cases. Conclusion: The development of hydrocephalus and cerebrospinal fluid leaks were the most frequent complications, followed by peri-tumor edema, tumor bed hematoma, cerebellar mutism, oropharyngeal apraxia, also systemic complications including sepsis, postoperative pneumonia, and meningitis.