Safety of Short Postoperative Length of Stay After Lateral Cerebrating Fluid Leak Repair

ObjectiveTo characterize the short-term outcomes of patients undergoing surgical repair of lateral skull base cerebrating fluid (CSF) leaks followed by a shortened length of stay (LOS) protocol.Study DesignRetrospective study.SettingTertiary medical center.MethodsA total of 156 adult patients from July 2016 to December 2022 who underwent repair of CSF leaks via transmastoid (TM), middle cranial fosse (MCF), or combined (TM/MCF) approaches were included. Data collected included: LOS, presentation to the emergency department (ED), need for readmission, major neuralgic complications (stroke, seizure, and meningitis), and CSF leak recurrence.ResultsApproximately half of patients underwent a TM repair (49.4%), whereas the other half underwent either an MCF (3.8%) or combined TM/MCF repair (46.8%). No pier-/postoperative lumbar drains were used and only 2 (1.3%) patients were admitted to the intensive care unit after surgery. Mean LOS for the cohort was 1.1 +/- 0.7 days and was longer for surgeries involving MCF (1.3 +/- 0.6) compared to TM (0.8 +/- 0.7). Ninety-two percent of TM cases were discharged within 24 hours (32% on the same day) while for cases involving an MCF approach, 72.2% of patients were discharged within 24 hours. Of the patients in the study, 6 (3.8%) presented to an ED for minor complications and no patient required readmission. Revision surgery was required for 3 (1.9%) patients for recurrent CSF leak.ConclusionOur findings suggest that short LOS after surgical repair of lateral skull base defects in the treatment of CSF leak is safe and effective.