Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Thalamic hematoma patients present with diverse clinical conditions, and treatment approaches vary widely. Currently, the use of disposable portable endoscope surgery has been rapidly adopted in many hospitals, but outcomes can vary significantly. Surgical approaches and techniques for thalamic hematoma often reference those used for basal ganglia hemorrhage, but their effectiveness remains uncertain. This study aims to explore the advantages of using disposable portable endoscopes in removing thalamic hematoma via the superior parietal lobule, providing guidelines for clinicians to manage thalamic bleeding effectively. METHODS: Clinical data of patients with thalamic hematoma who underwent either disposable portable endoscope or microscope surgery at the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, were retrospectively analyzed. Surgical duration, hematoma clearance rate, length of hospital stay, improvement rate in Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at 24 hours post-operation, and incidence of pulmonary infection were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Compared with the microscope group, the disposable portable endoscope group had shorter operation time, higher hematoma clearance rate, shorter hospital stay, and lower incidence of pulmonary infection (all P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the improvement rate of GCS score at 24 hours post-operation between the 2 groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the surgical removal of thalamic hematoma via the superior parietal lobule, the disposable portable endoscope offers advantages such as shorter surgical duration, better visualization, higher hematoma clearance rate, improved surgical efficiency, shorter hospital stay, and lower incidence of pulmonary infection. Therefore, it can be considered as a preferred surgical treatment option for patients with thalamic hematoma.