Gender Differences in Complication Rates Following Deep Brain Stimulation Implantation

Introduction: Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure that uses implanted electrodes to modulate brain activity, providing therapeutic relief for movement disorders and other neurological conditions. Gender disparities in postoperative complications are critical for optimizing patient care. This study investigates the incidence of pulmonary embolism, infections, headaches, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and mechanical complications after DBS implantation among male and female patients, aiming to highlight significant differences in risk profiles.

Methods: We conducted a cohort analysis involving 15,432 patients (7,716 males and 7,716 females) who underwent surgical procedures for DBS implantation. The primary outcomes assessed included rates of pulmonary embolism, complications, infections, headaches, ICH, and mechanical complications. Statistical analyses, including risk difference, risk ratio, and odds ratio calculations, were performed to evaluate gender-related differences.

Results: Our findings revealed a comparable risk of pulmonary embolism for both genders, each at 0.5% incidence (risk difference 0.001; p = 0.563). Complication rates also showed no significant variation at 0.8% for both genders (risk difference 0.001; p = 0.526). In contrast, female patients exhibited a significantly higher infection rate (2.4%) compared to males (1.7%), with a risk difference of -0.6% (p = 0.005). Similarly, headaches were more prevalent in females (6.3%) than in males (3.6%) with a highly significant risk difference of -2.7% (p < 0.001). For ICH, rates were 0.7% in males and 0.6% in females (p = 0.621), and mechanical complications were also similar (3.0% in males vs. 3.4% in females; p = 0.155).

Conclusion : This study underlines the necessity of gender-specific considerations in surgical risk assessments. While certain complications like infections and headaches show significant gender disparities, others remain consistent across genders, indicating the need for tailored postoperative care strategies to enhance patient outcomes, especially in consideration of the elective nature of DBS surgery.