TLDR Minimal scalp shaving before neurosurgery reduces infections and offers psychological benefits.
The study described a pre-operative technique for neurosurgical operations that involved not shaving the entire scalp, but instead only shaving a thin pathway along the incision line. This method was applied to over 1,000 patients and resulted in a significant reduction of surgical infections requiring bone flap removal due to osteitis, with the infection rate dropping to 0.6%. The approach also offered psychological benefits to patients. However, three patients experienced temporary partial alopecia as a side effect.
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