Craniectomy brain surgery - 3D animation

This medical animation shows how a craniectomy is performed to remove part of your skull to relieve pressure in that area when your brain swells. This surgery is usually done after a traumatic brain injury, but also to treat medical conditions that cause swelling or bleeding in your brain that may be caused by an aneurysm, brain tumor, or other cancer. A craniectomy decreases intracranial pressure (ICP), intracranial hypertension (ICHT), or heavy bleeding (also called hemorrhages) inside your skull. If left untreated, pressure or bleeding can compress your brain and push it towards the brainstem. It can be fatal or cause permanent brain damage. Brain surgery is a very serious procedure under any circumstances, but a craniectomy is performed when there is an immediate risk to the brain and neurological function due to severe brain injury or stroke.