Hrithik Roshan brain surgery: What is chronic subdural haematoma?

On Sunday, superstar Hrithik Roshan, tweeted that he was going to have brain surgery at Hinduja Hospital.  While everyone was shocked at the star’s tweet, his father Rakesh Roshan tweeted that he was suffering from a condition called ‘chronic subdural haematoma’. Curious to know what the Krrish 3 star is suffering from?

Subdural haematomaA chronic subdural haematoma is a collection of blood and the products of its breakdown between the surface of the brain and its outermost covering – called the dura. In this condition, the blood slowly leaks out of the veins surrounding  the brain to form a clot. The condition is termed ‘chronic’ because it manifests several weeks after it first starts to bleed.

Usually this type of bleeding occurs when a person suffers a mild head injury (reports suggest that Hrithik suffered a head injury during the filming of Krrish 3) or when a haemorrhage has been left to heal itself. It is also seen in elderly people, due to the shrinking of the brain. In most cases a person might not even know that he/she is suffering from the condition, but might experience mild symptoms such as dizziness, headaches and drowsiness. In severe cases he/she might suffer from severe symptoms like vomiting, confusion, coma and difficulty in speaking or swallowing.

In order to diagnose the condition a doctor will first ask about the patient’s medical history and any other symptom they might be suffering from. He/she will then proceed to check the patient’s nervous responses by checking their coordination, balance etc. In most cases the signs and symptoms of a haematoma are extremely subtle, therefore a doctor will advice the patient to get a head CT scan or a head MRI to get a more precise diagnosis.

Once diagnosed, the doctor will decide the type of surgery that needs to be performed to stop the bleeding. There are generally three main types:

Burr hole trephination: Where a surgeon will drill holes into the skull of the patient over the area of the subdural haematoma, and the clot is then suctioned out through these holes.  
Craniotomy: Here the surgeon removes a small piece of the skull to access the haematoma. This also helps to relieve the swelling in the brain. He/she will then replace the piece of bone after removing the clot.
Craniectomy: This procedure is done to mainly relieve the pressure on the brain due to swelling caused because of the bleed. Here, a section of the person’s skull is removed for an extended period of time, to allow the brain to expand without causing any permanent damage. Although this procedure is not used commonly in the case of a subdural haematoma, it may be used in severe cases.
After surgery a patient usually is required to stay in the hospital for about one week and is monitored closely for any signs of further brain injuries. Depending on the severity of the surgery, the surgeon may prescribe medication to relieve pain and antibiotics.

As of now there is news trickling in that Hrithik Roshan’s surgery has been completed successfully, and he is safe and resting at the hospital. We wish him a speedy recovery.