C-reactive protein levels following standard neurosurgical procedures.

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to establish the magnitude and time-course of C-reactive protein increases following routine neurosurgical procedures in the absence of clinical and laboratory signs of infection. C-reactive protein levels were studied daily following ventriculo-peritoneal shunt implantation, anterior cervical fusion, vestibular schwannoma operation, supratentorial glioma surgery, endovascular intracranial aneurysm treatment and open cerebral aneurysm surgery. The magnitude of the C-reactive protein increase depended on the extent of surgical trauma and peak-levels were recorded between postoperative day one and four after which the levels tapered off. Increases occurring after the fourth postoperative day are likely to be caused by complications of surgery, e.g. infection.